Final answer:
The Navigation Acts were more strictly enforced after the Seven Years War because Britain was seeking financial recovery following the war and the colonial trade was an area it could exercise more control over to achieve this. The strict enforcement of these acts also marked a significant change in British policy from salutary neglect to tighter control, which would later play a significant role in the buildup to the American Revolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Navigation Laws were more strictly enforced following the Seven Years War due to a combination of economic and geopolitical factors. Firstly, the war had created a significant financial burden for Britain which they sought to alleviate through federal taxes. As a result, the government turned to the Navigation Acts, which mandated all goods bound for the colonies from outside the British Empire to first be shipped to England and taxed before they could continue to their final destination. The enforcement of these acts served as an income source.
However, beyond the financial reasons, the period also marked a shift in British policies towards the colonies. Broadly, this period saw the practice of salutary neglect, where the British government turned a blind eye towards the colonists' violation of trades laws, give way to stricter enforcement. This strict enforcement caused significant unrest among the colonist and played a major role in the growth of the revolutionary sentiment that eventually led to the American Revolution.
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