APUSH - Topic 2.4 transatlantic Trade

Explain the causes and effects of transatlantic trade over time.

What was triangular trade?

• ship carrying rum goes from New England to West Africa → traded for captive Africans

• ship sets out on Middle Passage → surviving Africans traded for sugarcane in the West Indies

• ship returns to New England → sugar made into rum

What is mercantilism?

• a country’s wealth is determined by how much more it exported than it imported

• promoted sales of goods to other countries, didn’t buy through tariffs

• colonies existed only to enrich parent country

  • provide raw materials

  • promote industries

What were the English Navigation Acts?

• rules for colonial trade

• multiple from 1650-1673

  • trade to and from colonies can only be carried by English or colonial ships with English or colonial crew

  • all goods (except for a few) had to pass through ports in England

  • some goods could only be exported to England (tobacco)

What was the effect of the Navigation Acts?

• pros

  • aided shipbuilding, Chesapeake tobacco had monopoly in England, English military protected colonies from attacks

• cons

  • colonists had to pay high prices for English goods (bc they couldn’t manufacture their own)

  • farmers had to accept low prices (could only sell to England)

How was mercantilism enforced in English colonies?

• salutary neglect

  • english generally very lax in enforcing trade regulations

• why?

  • large physical distance between central govt. and colonies

  • bigger problems within England (civil war, war with france)

  • colonial agents were often corrupt → bribes often used to evade regulations

How did people react to trade regulations?

• very unpopular in the colonies

• attempts to enforce regulations

  • England revoked charter of Massachusetts Bay because there was much smuggling activity

  • efforts always harmed English-colonial relations

What was the Dominion of New England?

• new king (1683)

• wanted more control over colonies → combined many colonies and got rid of representative assemblies

• created Dominion of New England with New York, New Jersey, and more

  • new governor created new taxes, limited town meetings, etc

• Glorious Revolution of 1688

  • overthrow of James in England → ended Dominion of New England