Question

How did the navigation acts support the mercantilist policies of the English government

Answer 1

The Navigation Acts supported the mercantilist policies by ensuring that trade between England and its colonies benefited the English economy. They did this by mandating trade on English ships and taxing goods, thereby retaining profits and reinforcing economic growth within the British Empire. However, inconsistent enforcement led to 'salutary neglect,' allowing colonial resistance to grow.

Step-by-step explanation:

How the Navigation Acts Supported Mercantilism

The Navigation Acts were a series of laws imposed by the English government to enforce the mercantilist policies aimed at benefiting the British Empire economically and politically. The basis of mercantilism is the belief that a nation's wealth and power were best served by increasing exports and collecting precious metals like gold and silver. By requiring that trade between England and its colonies be conducted only on English or colonial ships, the Navigation Acts sought to ensure that the economic benefits of trade, such as the accumulation of capital and the control over colonial resources, remained within the English sphere.

The Navigation Acts also specified 'enumerated goods' that the colonists could only ship within the British Empire, thus keeping the trade routes and profits under English control. This was a way to maintain a favorable balance of trade, where the mother country exported more than it imported. Furthermore, by requiring that all goods bound for the colonies had to pass through England first, the acts ensured that England profited from taxes on these goods. The enforcement of these acts was intended to bolster the British economy and expand royal power over colonial development and trade.

However, despite the intentions behind the Navigation Acts, enforcement was not always strict, which led to periods of what is known as 'salutary neglect,' where smuggling was often overlooked. This allowed the colonial economy to grow, albeit somewhat outside the intended mercantilist restrictions. Over time, resistance to these trade restrictions contributed to growing tensions between the colonies and the mother country, planting the seeds of discontent that would later lead to the American Revolution.

Answer 2

The mercantilism as a economic policy allows the government to regulate and control the trade and always favors trade monopoly. British adopted various policies which supported their mercantilist and one among them was the passing of Navigation Acts. The Navigation act in 1751 gave British ships transport monopoly with regard to transportation of materials from colonies to England which effectively restricted the colonies to trade with other countries. In this way we see the Navigation Acts supported the mercantillist policies of British government.