<P> The Navigation Acts were a series of English laws that restricted colonial trade to England . They were first enacted in 1651 and throughout that time until 1663 , and were repealed in 1849 . They reflected the policy of mercantilism , which sought to keep all the benefits of trade inside the Empire and to minimize the loss of gold and silver to foreigners . They prohibited the colonies from trading directly with the Netherlands , Spain , France , and their colonies . The original ordinance of 1651 was renewed at the Restoration by Acts of 1660 , 1663 , 1670 , and 1673 , with subsequent minor amendments . The Acts formed the basis for English overseas trade for nearly 200 years . Additionally , the Acts restricted the employment of non-English sailors to a quarter of the crew on returning East India Company ships . </P>
<P> The Navigation Acts were a series of English laws that restricted colonial trade to England . They were first enacted in 1651 and throughout that time until 1663 , and were repealed in 1849 . They reflected the policy of mercantilism , which sought to keep all the benefits of trade inside the Empire and to minimize the loss of gold and silver to foreigners . They prohibited the colonies from trading directly with the Netherlands , Spain , France , and their colonies . The original ordinance of 1651 was renewed at the Restoration by Acts of 1660 , 1663 , 1670 , and 1673 , with subsequent minor amendments . The Acts formed the basis for English overseas trade for nearly 200 years . Additionally , the Acts restricted the employment of non-English sailors to a quarter of the crew on returning East India Company ships . </P>
passage of the first trade and navigation acts
passage of the first trade and navigation acts
1651
1651