Final answer:
England aimed to create a favorable balance of trade in the triangular trade, acquiring raw materials from its colonies at cheaper prices, manufacturing goods, and selling these back to the colonies at higher costs. The goal was to increase England's treasury following the mercantilist belief that nation's power lay in wealth.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the era of the triangular trade, England's primary goal was to secure a favorable balance of trade and augment its treasury. Adhering to mercantilist ideals, England exploited the colonies to obtain raw materials including lumber, tobacco, and food at reduced prices. The English then manufactured goods from these raw materials and sold them back to the colonies at higher costs. Laws such as the 1660s Navigation Laws and the 1651 Navigation Ordinance were enacted to further secure England's trading interests. These laws stipulated that only English ships, lead by English captains, could carry goods between England and its colonies. This limitation on trade also extended to specific items such as sugar, indigo and tobacco which could only be transported to England, where they were taxed to the benefit of the English government.
Furthermore, England's interest in other commodities like cotton, dye plants, and naval equipment led to increased restrictions on exports, emphasizing the mercantilist belief that the nation's power lay in its wealth.
Through the triangular trade, England benefited significantly from the forced labor of Africans in the American colonies, traded through a procession of manufactured goods from Europe to Africa, slaves from Africa to America, and raw materials from America back to Europe. Therefore, colonialism and the triangular trade were critical components of England's economic growth during this period.
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