Final answer:
The Navigation Acts were designed to profit England and limit colonial trade but provided benefits to the colonies and were not always rigidly enforced, leading to varying economic impacts.
Step-by-step explanation:
Did the Navigation Acts make England large profits and set limits on colonial trade? The Navigation Acts were a series of laws passed by the English Parliament in the 17th century, aiming to ensure that trade enriched Britain's coffers and to establish a favorable balance of trade. One of the provisions, for instance, the Navigation Act of 1663, mandated that goods destined for the colonies from outside the British Empire had to be shipped to England first, subjected to taxation, and then could proceed to the colonies. This not only limited colonial trade to ensure profits for England but also increased the cost of non-English goods for colonists, as foreign shippers passed on the tax cost.Trade benefits were also embedded in these policies. Colonists enjoyed certain advantages such as monopolies over certain goods, rebates on English imports, and protection from piracy by the Royal Navy. It should also be noted that until the mid-18th century, Britain exercised a policy of salutary neglect, often allowing colonial trade to flourish with less interference. Despite the Navigation Acts, colonists were not strictly prevented from building their own ships or from trading, particularly in New England. The effects of the Navigation Acts were thus nuanced, providing both benefits and constraints to colonial economies.Conclusion: The Navigation Acts served to profit England while controlling colonial trade, but the acts also offered trade advantages for the colonies and were not always strictly enforced, leading to a mixed impact on colonial economies.