British ‘constructive imperialism’ strengthened London’s control but ultimately failed.

Evidence

The colonial courts in the eighteenth century looked noticeably more English—​ partly by choice, partly because England was more serious about governing. At the end of the seventeenth century, the British introduced a new policy of constructive imperialism. They proposed to install royal governments in the chartered colonies, to combine smaller self-​governing or proprietary units into large units of administration, and to strengthen the executive power at the expense of representative assemblies. These policies failed in the long run. But the British government at least managed to make the colonies pay more attention to London’s demands. — Lawrence M. Friedman, A History of American Law, 219

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Colonial exposure to metropolitan freedom undermined Britain’s own imperial rule.; Late-Victorian economic decline drove Britain toward aggressive imperialism after 1895 — Cedric J. Robinson, Black Marxism_ The Making of the Black…, 1135

Broader Connections

• Colonial exposure to metropolitan freedom undermined Britain’s own imperial rule. #exemplifies (0.80)
• Late-Victorian economic decline drove Britain toward aggressive imperialism after 1895 #qualifies (0.75) — Cedric J. Robinson, Black Marxism_ The Making of the Black…, 1135