Glorius revolution essays

Glorius revolution essays Beginning in the 16th century, the nations of Europe competed for wealth and power through a new economic system called mercantilism, in which colonies played a critical role. According to the theory of mercantilism, a nation could increase its wealth and power in two ways: by obtaining as much gold and silver as possible, and by establishing a favorable balance of trade, in which it sold more goods than it bought. A nations ultimate goal under mercantilism was to become self-sufficient so that it did not have to depend on other countries for goods. By the mid-1600s, the colonists exported to England large amounts of raw materials and staples-lumber, furs, fish, grain, and tobacco. In addition, the men and women of the colonies were good customers for manufactured English goods such as wooden furniture, iron utensils, books, and china. However, not all the products the colonists produced for export ended up on English docks. Some of the colonists sturdy lumber and strong tobacco made its way into the harbors of Spain, France, and Holland. England viewed these actions as an economic threat. As a result, beginning in 1651, Englands parliament, the countrys legislative body, moved to tighten control of colonial trade by passing a series of measures known as the The Navigation Acts. These Navigation Acts, as they were called, ordered the following: 1. No country could trade with the colonies unless the goods were shipped in either colonial or English ships. 2. All vessels had to be manned by crews that were at least three-quarters English or colonial. 3. The colonies could export certain products, including tobacco and sugar-and later rice molasses, and furs-only to England. 4. Almost all goods traded between the colonies and Europe first had to be unloaded at an English port. This gave jobs to English dockworkers and money to the English treasury in the form of import taxes on the good ...