American mercantilism in the mid-seventeenth century was the idea of the American colonies being used by England as a source of raw materials and a market for English manufactured goods. This system aimed to increase England's wealth and power through control over trade and commerce in the colonies. The American colonies were expected to provide England with resources such as tobacco, sugar, and timber, while at the same time purchasing finished goods from England. This policy was enforced through various measures, including trade restrictions and the Navigation Acts, which required all colonial trade to be conducted on English ships and through English ports.