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Commerce in
the Colonies
Triangular Trade and
the Navigation Acts
Triangular Trade
• Settlers in
Colonial America
engaged in 3 types
of trade
– Trade with other
colonies
– Direct exchange of
goods with Europe
– The Triangular
Trade
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Ships would leave the colonies with raw
materials, rum and money from sale of
manufactured good bound for England
Ships would
take remaining
slaves, sugar
and molasses
to the
Colonies
Sometimes,
ships would
go directly
from
England to
the West
Indies or the
Colonies
Ships would
leave England
and take money
from sale of
manufactured
goods, rum, and
iron to Africa to
trade for slaves
Ships would bring Slaves from Africa to
the West Indies
Navigation Acts - 1651
• The Colonies
had prospered
from trade
• England wanted
to ensure that it
prospered as
well
• Designed to
protect English
system of
Mercantilism
• England had to
ensure colonial
trade was only
with England or
at least went
through England.
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Challenges to English Control
• England had trouble
enforcing the Navigation
Acts
• Merchants ignored them
whenever they could
• Smuggling was very
common
• England had particular
difficulty preventing
pirates from interfering
with trade
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