Final answer:
The English Navigation Acts were laws passed by England to maximize profit from its colonies and restrict trade with other European powers. They forced the English Colonies in North America to trade only with England, limiting their economic growth and autonomy.
Step-by-step explanation:
The English Navigation Acts were a series of laws passed by England in the 17th century to maximize profit from its colonies and restrict trade with other European powers. The Navigation Act of 1660, for example, listed goods produced in the colonies that could only be sold in England or its colonial possessions. This prevented colonists from selling to other merchants who might pay more.
These acts had a significant effect on the English Colonies in North America. The colonies were forced to trade only with England, which made English merchants the primary buyers of colonial goods. This arrangement allowed English merchants to pay colonists what they deemed fair, limiting the colonists' ability to negotiate better prices. Additionally, the acts restricted the colonies' ability to engage in international trade, which limited their economic growth and autonomy.