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

Triangular Trade –The name given to a route with three stops. The American colonists were a part of the triangular trade routes with Europe and Africa

Triangular Trade Ships would leave the colonies with raw materials and rum bound for England They would leave England and take money from sale of goods, rum, and iron to Africa to trade for slaves Ships would bring Slaves from Africa to the West Indies (This was called the Middle Passage) They would take remaining slaves, sugar and molasses to the Colonies

Navigation Acts The Colonies prospered from trade England wanted to ensure that it prospered as well –Mercantilism Navigation Acts 1.All Shipping had to be done on English Ships 2.Cash crops could only be sold in English Colonies or England 3.Any colonial goods not shipped to England were to be taxed

Smuggling Smuggling-illegally buying and selling goods 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