What Was The Role Of The American Colonies In The 18th Century
THE NAVIGATION ACTS
The Commonwealth of England was ruled by Oliver Cromwell and Parliament in 1651. King Charles I was just beheaded and the new leaders were looking for a way to express their dominant position. At this time, England faced financial trouble. Looking for a way to increase the Commonwealth’s income, its rulers settled on the use of international trade. This was not a bad idea, except for the fact that the Dutch ruled the sea of international trade. They shipped constantly between England and the Colonies meaning they received the larger portion of profit. England would have to come up with a solution. Oliver Cromwell and Parliament were enraged at realization of the Dutch’s sly move. The Colonies belonged to England, …show more content…
The Commonwealth worked hard to improve its ships and sailors so that it could rival the talent of the Dutch. Once matched, England made it known that import and export of goods to and from the British Colonies were to be carried strictly on English vessels. Because the New England Colonies had the tools and natural resources for ship making, they acquired great profit. The Southern Colonies did not obtain such luck. These Colonies were made up of grand plantations loaded with cash crops. Because England did not have need for an abundance of American commodities, these colonies suffered from the Navigation Acts. This lack of income led to smuggling and illegal trade by the Colonies on England’s basis. In 1650, King Charles II voided the original Navigation Acts, which were largely ignored by the Colonies. King Charles II made several amendments to the previous Navigation Acts. He made English sailors and captains sign a bond to comply that they would not stand for any smuggling or secret trade to other countries. The new law regarding Colonial trade to outside countries required colonists to ship commodities on their own vessels to England first and then pay the proper tax for these item before sending them on to another country. These Navigation Acts were
The Commonwealth of England was ruled by Oliver Cromwell and Parliament in 1651. King Charles I was just beheaded and the new leaders were looking for a way to express their dominant position. At this time, England faced financial trouble. Looking for a way to increase the Commonwealth’s income, its rulers settled on the use of international trade. This was not a bad idea, except for the fact that the Dutch ruled the sea of international trade. They shipped constantly between England and the Colonies meaning they received the larger portion of profit. England would have to come up with a solution. Oliver Cromwell and Parliament were enraged at realization of the Dutch’s sly move. The Colonies belonged to England, …show more content…
The Commonwealth worked hard to improve its ships and sailors so that it could rival the talent of the Dutch. Once matched, England made it known that import and export of goods to and from the British Colonies were to be carried strictly on English vessels. Because the New England Colonies had the tools and natural resources for ship making, they acquired great profit. The Southern Colonies did not obtain such luck. These Colonies were made up of grand plantations loaded with cash crops. Because England did not have need for an abundance of American commodities, these colonies suffered from the Navigation Acts. This lack of income led to smuggling and illegal trade by the Colonies on England’s basis. In 1650, King Charles II voided the original Navigation Acts, which were largely ignored by the Colonies. King Charles II made several amendments to the previous Navigation Acts. He made English sailors and captains sign a bond to comply that they would not stand for any smuggling or secret trade to other countries. The new law regarding Colonial trade to outside countries required colonists to ship commodities on their own vessels to England first and then pay the proper tax for these item before sending them on to another country. These Navigation Acts were