1. Commerce in the Colonies
Triangular Trade and the Navigation Acts

2. Triangular Trade
Settlers in Colonial America engaged in 3 types of trade
Trade with other colonies
Direct exchange of goods with Europe
The Triangular Trade

3. Ships would leave the colonies with raw materials, rum and money from sale of manufactured good bound for England
Sometimes, ships would go directly from England to the West Indies or the Colonies
Ships would leave England and take money from sale of manufactured goods, rum, and iron to Africa to trade for slaves
Ships would take remaining slaves, sugar and molasses to the Colonies
Ships would bring Slaves from Africa to the West Indies

4. Navigation Acts - 1651 The Colonies had prospered from trade
England wanted to ensure that it prospered as well
Designed to protect English system of Mercantilism
England had to ensure colonial trade was only with England or at least went through England.

5. The Navigation Acts - Enforcement of Mercantilism
Restrictions on buying
Buy only from mother country; duties on foreign goods
Restrictions on selling
Could only ship/sell to mother country(enumerated goods)
Restrictions on shipping
All trade only on mother county’s ships, all goods shipped through mother country’
Restrictions on manufacturing
Prohibited in colonies: keep colonies dependent on mother country, prevent competition (monopoly)

6. Challenges to English Control
England had trouble enforcing the Navigation Acts
Merchants ignored them whenever they could
Smuggling was very common
England had particular difficulty preventing pirates from interfering with trade