Question

Read the excerpt from one of the Navigation Acts, passed by the British Empire between 1660 and 1733, and answer the question.

[F]rom and after the first day of December 1660 and from thence forward, no goods or commodities whatsoever shall be imported into or exported out of any lands, islands, plantations, or territories to his Majesty belonging or in his possession . . . in Asia, Africa, or America, in any [ship or vessel not belonging] to the people of England or Ireland . . . under the penalty of the. . . loss of all the goods and commodities which shall be imported into or exported out of any of the aforesaid places in any other ship or vessel[.]
— Navigation Act of September 13, 1660

What was the intended effect of acts like these that promoted mercantilist policies?

A.
to increase British profits associated with colonial activity

B.
to improve access to necessary goods for British colonists

C.
to strengthen alliances between Britain and other colonial powers

D.
to establish elements of self-government in Britain's colonies

Answer 1

A. to increase British profits associated with colonial activity

The intended effect of the Navigation Acts was primarily to ensure that trade within the British Empire generated wealth for Britain by controlling colonial commerce and limiting it to English ships and those of its colonies, thereby increasing British profits associated with colonial activity.