During the period of salutary neglect, the rights of Englishmen concerning taxation were strengthened in the colonies primarily through the following two ways:
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Colonial assemblies assumed the right to tax citizens. - During this time, the colonial assemblies gained more power and autonomy. They asserted their authority to create and enforce their own tax laws, which allowed them to have a say in how their funds were raised and spent, akin to the principles established in the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights.
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Wealthy colonial landowners obtained the privilege to tax citizens. - Wealthy landowners and local elites often held significant influence in colonial assemblies and governance. They played a key role in the local decision-making processes, reinforcing their ability to levy taxes on their fellow colonists. This practice further solidified the idea of representation in taxation, which echoed the rights established in English law.
These developments during the period of salutary neglect set the groundwork for the colonists' expectations of representation and their later resistance to taxation without representation from the British Crown.