Final answer:
Britain placed economic restrictions on the American colonies under mercantilism to ensure a favorable balance of trade for the mother country. The Navigation Acts mandated that the colonies only trade with Britain and that all goods be shipped on British vessels. These mercantilist policies led to British economic prosperity at the expense of colonial freedoms, leading to rising tensions.
Step-by-step explanation:
British Mercantilism and Colonial Restrictions
Under the system of mercantilism, Britain imposed several economic restrictions on the colonies. These restrictions were meant to ensure that the mother country, Great Britain, could maximize its wealth through a favorable balance of trade. By implementing policies like the Navigation Acts, mercantilism dictated that American colonies supply raw materials to Britain and buy manufactured goods exclusively from the mother country.
The Navigation Acts, in particular, were a series of laws that regulated colonial trade. They enforced rules such as: colonies could not trade certain enumerated goods with nations outside of the British Empire; manufacturing that competed with British goods was discouraged; and all trade with the colonies had to be conducted using British ships. This created a trade monopoly for England, ensuring that English merchants, manufacturers, and, by extension, the English Treasury, benefited from colonial commerce. Such policies inevitably led to a commercial dependency of the colonies on Britain and laid the groundwork for future political friction.
By controlling colonial markets and resources, Britain aimed to accumulate silver and gold, maintain high tariffs, and establish monopolies. This mercantilist strategy contributed significantly to the development of the Industrial Revolution by funding technological advances and promoting British manufacturing. However, it also sowed seeds of colonial discontent that eventually contributed to the American Revolution.