Navigation Acts facts for kids
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| Long title | An Act for the Encourageing and increasing of Shipping and Navigation. |
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| Citation | 12 Cha. II. c. 18 |
| Territorial extent | Kingdom of England and English overseas possessions |
| Dates | |
| Commencement | various, 1 December 1660 to 1 September 1661 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repeals/revokes | An Act for increase of Shipping, and Encouragement of the Navigation of this Nation, 9 October 1651 |
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Status: Repealed
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The Navigation Acts were a series of important English laws. They were made to control and boost England's ships, trade, and business with other countries and its own colonies. These laws also managed England's fishing industry. They limited how much foreign ships and traders could be involved in England's colonial trade.
The first main law was passed in 1651. It was made stronger and wider in 1660 and then updated many times. These laws were a big part of how England (and later Britain) managed its trade for almost 200 years. They were based on an idea called mercantilism. This idea meant that a country should keep all the benefits of trade within its own empire. It also meant trying to keep gold and silver from leaving the country.
The Navigation Acts generally said that only English ships could be used for trade. They also required that at least 75% of the crew on these ships had to be English or from the colonies. The laws stopped colonies from sending certain products, like sugar and tobacco, to any country other than Britain or its colonies. Also, colonies had to buy imported goods only from or through Britain.
These laws helped London become a major port. They also helped the Royal Navy grow strong. However, they caused problems and anger in the American colonies. This anger was one of the reasons that led to the American Revolutionary War. The Navigation Acts were finally ended in 1849. This happened as the idea of free trade, where countries trade more openly, became popular.
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The first Navigation Act was created because England's trade was struggling. This was after a long war in Europe called the Eighty Years' War. When that war ended, the Dutch became very strong in trade. They had many ships and were great at moving goods around Europe and the world.
English merchants found it hard to compete. Dutch ships were bringing goods from all over the world, even from English colonies, and selling them in England. This meant English ships and traders were losing out.
So, England decided to protect its own markets. They wanted to stop these foreign imports, especially from the Dutch. In 1650, English leaders started planning a way to control trade. They wanted to make sure that England's wealth and success came first.
Early Trade Rules and Laws
Even before the main Navigation Acts, England had rules about trade. As far back as 1381, a law said that goods should only be moved in ships owned by the King's subjects. Later, King Henry VIII added rules that ships had to be built in England and have mostly English crews.
When England started building colonies in America, these rules became even more important. The government wanted to make sure that all trade with the colonies benefited England. For example, in 1621, the Virginia colony was told it couldn't send tobacco to foreign countries.
In the 1640s, during the English Civil War, more laws were passed. These laws aimed to help English shipping and trade with the colonies. They were the first steps towards the big Navigation Acts that came later. These early laws showed that England wanted to control its trade and colonies very carefully.
The first major Navigation Act was passed on October 9, 1651. It was called An Act for increase of Shipping, and Encouragement of the Navigation of this Nation. This law allowed the English government to control trade with other countries and its own colonies.
The Act said that foreign ships could not bring goods from Asia, Africa, or America to England or its colonies. Only ships owned by an English person, with an English captain, and mostly English crew members were allowed. European ships could bring their own products to England. But they couldn't bring goods from a third country. The Act also banned foreign ships from carrying salted fish.
These rules were mainly aimed at the Dutch. The Dutch controlled a lot of Europe's trade. This Act tried to stop them from trading directly with England. This was a big reason for the First Anglo-Dutch War. England wanted to be the main trading power.
After King Charles II returned to the throne in 1660, the 1651 Act was cancelled. But everyone saw how helpful it had been. So, new laws were quickly passed that made the rules even stronger. The Act of 1660 became the most important of the "Navigation Acts." It stayed in place for almost 200 years.
These new laws said that ships built in the English colonies, especially in America, were considered "English." This meant colonists could build and trade with their own ships. They could even trade with foreign places, as long as they followed the rules about certain products.
The Navigation Act of 1660 was passed on September 13. It made the rules from the earlier Act much tougher. Now, goods from colonies could only be shipped on ships that truly belonged to people in England or were built in the English colonies. Also, 75% of the crew had to be English, not just a majority. Ship captains had to promise to follow these rules. If they didn't, their ship and its cargo could be taken away.
This Act also listed seven special colonial products, called "enumerated" goods. These included sugar, tobacco, cotton, and indigo. These products could only be shipped to England or other English colonies. They were valuable goods that England wanted to control.
The Act also said that foreigners could not work as merchants or traders in the colonies. This was to make sure that only English people benefited from the trade.
The Navigation Act of 1663 was passed on July 27. It made the trade system even tighter. Now, almost all European goods going to America and other colonies had to stop in England first. In England, the goods would be unloaded, checked, and taxes paid. Then, they would be reloaded onto English or colonial ships to continue their journey.
This rule made England the main trading hub for all goods going to the colonies. It also stopped the colonies from trading directly with other European countries. This increased shipping times and costs for the colonists. Some exceptions were made for things like salt for fishing or wine from certain islands.
This Act also allowed England to export silver and gold overseas. This was important for the East India Company, which used silver to buy goods in India.
The Navigation Act of 1673 aimed to stop people from finding ways around the rules. It was also called the Trade Act of 1672. This Act tried to boost English whaling and trade in the Baltic Sea.
A big problem was that colonists were shipping "enumerated" goods, like tobacco, to another colony first. Then, from that colony, they would illegally send the goods to foreign countries without going through England. To stop this, the 1673 Act said that customs duties (taxes) had to be paid when these goods left the colonies, unless they had a special bond promising to go to England. This helped the King collect more money.
The Act also gave customs officers in the colonies more power. They could search ships and warehouses and seize goods that broke the rules.
The Navigation Act of 1696 was a very important law. It was also called the Plantation Trade Act of 1695. It added new rules and ways to make sure the earlier acts were followed.
This Act made it clear that only ships built in England, Ireland, or the colonies, and owned by people from those places, could trade between English possessions. It also said that 75% of the crew had to be from these places. To make sure of this, all ships and their owners had to be registered.
A big change was that violations of the Navigation Acts could now be tried in special courts called "Admiralty Courts" in the colonies. Before, many governors and officials in the colonies didn't enforce the laws well. This Act made governors take an oath to follow the laws strictly. It also made colonial customs officers give a promise to do their job faithfully. These officers now had the same power as customs officers in England.
The Act also said that any colonial laws that went against the Navigation Acts were illegal. This helped England have more control over the colonies. This Act helped make sure the Navigation Acts were generally followed.
The Molasses Act of 1733
The Molasses Act of 1733 put high taxes on sugar brought from the French West Indies to the American colonies. This forced colonists to buy more expensive sugar from the British West Indies. Many colonists ignored this law and smuggled sugar instead.
When Britain tried to enforce this law more strictly in the 1760s, it made merchants in the American colonies very angry. This anger helped push the American colonies towards rebellion and the American Revolutionary War.
The Navigation Acts were finally ended in 1849. By this time, many people in Britain believed in free trade. This idea meant that trade should be as open as possible, with fewer government rules and taxes.
The original purpose of the Navigation Acts was to keep wealth inside the British Empire. But by the 1800s, Britain wanted cheaper food and goods from other countries. Ending the Navigation Acts helped achieve this goal.
How the Acts Affected Britain
The Navigation Acts helped Britain's shipping industry grow strong. They limited how much Dutch ships could trade with Britain. By keeping colonial trade for British ships, the Acts helped London become a very important port for goods from America.
These laws also helped the Royal Navy grow bigger and better. A strong navy was important for Britain to become a global superpower.
How the Acts Affected American Colonies
While the Navigation Acts made Britain richer, they caused a lot of anger in the American colonies. The laws meant that colonies had to buy imports from Britain or through British merchants, even if they could get them cheaper elsewhere.
Some historians say that the economic cost of the Acts on the American colonies was small. However, others argue that the laws affected different groups of people differently. They helped some but hurt others.
The political problems caused by the Acts were more serious than the economic ones. Merchants, who were most affected, were also very active in politics. The Acts also led to more piracy in the late 1600s and early 1700s. This was because merchants and officials would buy stolen goods from pirates.
Many historians agree that the direct costs of the trade rules on American colonists were not huge. But the anger and feeling of being controlled played a big part in the colonies wanting to break away from Britain.
How the Acts Affected Ireland
The Navigation Acts were also disliked in Ireland. They hurt Ireland's economy. The laws allowed English goods to come into Ireland without taxes. But they put taxes on Irish goods going to Britain. Some laws even completely stopped Ireland from exporting certain goods, like wool. This caused those industries to collapse in Ireland.
See also
In Spanish: Actas de Navegación para niños
