Ecohejdi Essay Research Paper During the 1500

Ecohejdi Essay, Research Paper

During the 1500’s to 1800’s, the strength and stature of a country dependedupon its political power, which can be traced to how self-sufficient itwas. Striving to be self-sufficient was what nations sought after;dependency was not a characteristic of a powerful nation. Raw materialswere the most required item to strengthen the central government, and deterinteractions, such as trade with other nations. The first country tointroduce mercantilism in America was Spain. The spanish american colonieswere not allowed to trade directly with Europe. Instead they had to funnelall of the sugar and tobacco, two common commdities of the new land,through Spain. When this was done, heavy custom duties were imposed andthe central government gained. Spanish American colonies were forced intoproviding precious metals and raw materials to the mother country. Thesecolonies existed only to enrich spain, even if the economic policiesadversly effected the well-being of the colonies. This grip caused thecentral economy of Spain to grow at the expense of the colonies. Duringthe duration of this period, the 1500’s through the 1700’s, mercantilismhad a major effect on the economies in the new world. English speakingcolonies were effected by England’s policies and acts. These policies andacts were means of controling the economy of the colonies in America andstrengthen the central government of England. Dutch traders had the commercial vessel market well cornered in the 1640’s. It was very difficult for English colonies to compete with the Dutch. With owning 75 percent of Northern Europes’ vessels, being well-financedand experienced, the Dutch were going to stay in control of the marketunless European Parliament intervined. In 1651 the European parliamentenacted the first Navigation Act to undercut the Dutches domination. England was hoping that this Act would exclude the Dutch from trade withthe English and force its own merchant marine to grow. This act was thefirst attempt to enforce merchantilism by England. The act proclaimed thatall trade between France and English colonies, Europe and English colonies,and the colonies with themselves must be conducted on an english ship(Kurland). The British were hoping that this would boost the economy andexpand the mercant marine. The failure of this act was caused byinadequate machinery to enforce the law. The english colonies publiclydefied the act and kept on trading with the Dutch. The restoration of Charles II brought about major changes in 1660. All ofthe acts of the Commonwealth Parliament, including the Navigation Act of1651, were considered illigal under his rule (Kurland). Charles II did notintend on doing away with the act, but revising it. The Navigation Act of1660 was a restatement of the 1651 act, but it also established a list ofitems including: tobacco, cotton, wool, and indigo, that couldn’t beshipped outside of the British empire (Barck and Lefler). This Act madethe english colonies frusterated for they could get a higher price forthese items outside of the british empire. The Navigation Act worked as adisadvantage to the colonies, but helped the central economy and governmentof the british by excluding such raw materials from trade to othercountries. The Staple Act of 1663 was an offshoot of the Navigation Acts. It statedthat all European goods bound for the American colonies must first land atan english port and then be reshipped to America in English vessels(Kurland). The British would benefit from this act by imposing customduties on goods, which cost would be passed to the american consumer. Theenglish merchants would profit from handling, insurance, and shipping fees. This Act also provided for a naval officer in all colonial ports to insurethe upholding of the mercantile law. From the American stand point, theStaple Act meant higher prices and a blatant attempt of the British toexploit America for the benefit of the english merchants. There was noneed for the Staple Act to be passed. The Act served no other purposeother than the enrichment of the British people and strengthening of thecentral government. Another example of the British trying to exert control over America waswith the Molasses Act of 1733. This Act imposed a duty of nine pence pergallon on rum, six pence per gallon on molasses, and five shillings perhundredweight of sugar imported from French or Spanish colonies. The wasno tax put on british rum, molasses, or sugar imported from BritishColonies. The British, trying to control the american colonies, werelargely ineffective. The act was vastly ignored by the Americans. TheAmericans were not going to obey a law passed by the english, when theenglish had no way of enforcing it. The english colonies were pulling away

from the alligence to Britain. The British wanted the colonies to buildthe political power of Britain, without getting anything in return. TheBritish wanted to use up all of the resources and raw materials of America,without the colonies resisting. After the British recognized that the Molasses Act was ineffective, theyamended it with the Suger Act (Morison and Commager). Bribing customsofficals into taking 1 and a half pence per gallon not to notice the cargobeing unloaded was how the Molasses Act failed. To do away with thisproblem, the British cut the tax by fifty percent and strickly enforced it. Now the colonies were objecting to the decreased tax. Before, the tax wasnot colle