▁reason ▁for ▁these ▁actions ▁was ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁administration ▁of ▁individual ▁colon ies , ▁but ▁another ▁significant ▁reason ▁was ▁the ▁reg ulation ▁of ▁trade . ▁Through out ▁the ▁ 1 6 6 0 s , ▁the ▁English ▁Parliament ▁passed ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁laws ▁to ▁reg ulate ▁the ▁trade ▁of ▁the ▁colon ies , ▁collect ively ▁called ▁the ▁Navigation ▁Act s . ▁The ▁American ▁colon ists ▁resist ed ▁these ▁laws , ▁particularly ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁England ▁colon ies ▁which ▁had ▁established ▁significant ▁trad ing ▁networks ▁with ▁other ▁English ▁colon ies ▁and ▁with ▁other ▁European ▁countries ▁and ▁their ▁colon ies , ▁especially ▁Spain ▁and ▁the ▁Dutch ▁Republic . ▁The ▁Navigation ▁Act s ▁also ▁out la wed ▁some ▁existing ▁New ▁England ▁practices , ▁in ▁effect ▁turning ▁mer ch ants ▁into ▁sm ug gl ers ▁while ▁significantly ▁increasing ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁doing ▁business . ▁ ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁England ▁colon ies ▁presented ▁specific ▁problems ▁for ▁the ▁king , ▁and ▁combining ▁those ▁colon ies ▁into ▁a ▁single ▁administrative ▁entity ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁resolve ▁those ▁problems . ▁P ly mouth ▁Col ony ▁had ▁never ▁been ▁formally ▁char tered , ▁and ▁the ▁New ▁H aven ▁Col ony ▁had ▁shelter ed ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁reg ic ides ▁of ▁Charles ▁I , ▁the ▁king ' s ▁father . ▁The ▁territory ▁of ▁Maine ▁was ▁disput ed ▁by ▁compet ing ▁gran te es ▁and ▁by ▁Massachusetts , ▁and ▁New ▁Ham pshire ▁was ▁a ▁very ▁small , ▁recently ▁established ▁crown ▁col ony . ▁ ▁Massachusetts ▁had ▁a ▁long ▁history ▁of ▁virt