Navigation Acts

The Navigation Acts were a series of laws passed by English Parliament between 1645 and 1761. The twenty-nine laws were intended to control colonial trade and shipping to the benefit of English interests. Through these measures, England boosted its shipping industries, guaranteed markets for English goods, inhibited other European trade with the thirteen colonies , and benefited from colonial trading goods.

Over time, the Navigation Acts defined England as the gateway for colonial trade. Only British ships were to be used to carry European goods to the colonies. Likewise, American exports were to be carried only by British ships to be processed through English ports. This enabled England to collect tax on the imports and to prevent direct trading with any other country. Certain products (such as sugar, cotton , tobacco , indigo, rice, molasses, apples, and wool) could only be shipped to England. Colonial goods, however, could not compete with English goods.

The laws had both benefits and detriments for the colonies. Certain American markets gained support from the business that the measures guaranteed. Others, however, suffered from the noncompete restrictions or from the increase in costs due to tax and shipping that resulted from the laws.

Shippers often took advantage of loopholes and a lack of clarity to evade the laws. Smuggling goods directly from other countries offered cheaper options to the colonists and so proved to be a lucrative business. In spite of the difficulties presented to the colonies, the laws were effective enough to offer benefits to British trade. Parliament continued to pass Navigation Acts until the eve of the American Revolution (1775–83).