Colonial Government - 06/14/25

Colonial government

The system of rules and leadership in the British American colonies

British control

Britain created the colonies to grow trade and expand their empire

Why colonies were made

To send raw materials to England for trade and manufacturing

Mercantilism

An economic system where colonies exist to benefit the mother country (Britain)

Navigation Acts

Laws passed in the 1600s to control colonial trade

What Navigation Acts did

Britain controlled what the colonies could buy, sell, and ship

Crown vs Colonists

Tensions grew as British control in the colonies increased

Colonial reaction

Colonists began to question British laws and authority

Why this matters

This tension led to the desire for independence and self