Trade and Navigation Acts

In 1651 Parliament enacted the first of what became known as the Navigation Acts which, among other things, imposed various restrictions on trade with Great Britain; the terms of the Act applied equally to the American colonies. The Act additionally provided for bounties to encourage the development of supplies needed by Britain that mitigated the impact of the Act’s more restrictive measures. These Acts also imposed customs duties. Collectively the measures contained in the various Trade and Navigation Acts affected few Americans and their economic impact was accordingly slight. Americans circumvented the law by trading with directly with other European countries and their New World Colonies. However, trade duties per se were unobjectionable as it had long been recognised and accepted that trade duties, in contrast to direct taxes, were legal. If their overall economic impact was slight, the same cannot be said for the way they directly and adversely impacted important segments of American society. It was among this segment of American society, comprised mainly of merchants and plantation owners, which aroused anti-British sentiment that intensified as Parliament sought to impose more stringent measures.