How Far Do You Agree That the Navigation Acts Were the Main Reason for the Growth of the British Empire in the Years 1680-1763?

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There were many factors that helped the growth of The British Empire such as early settlers and trading companies, however the Navigation Acts rapidly accelerated the success of the trading companies therefore expanding The British Empire. The Navigation Acts were a set of laws that kept trade in the hands of the British; this gave them ultimate power over most trade and gained them a lot of wealth and thus success. Government and war played a significant role in the growth of the British Empire which gave them more power such as the EIC winning a number of sea battles against the Dutch which granted another firmum which gave the company more effective trading. Trading companies helped the growth of the British Empire, as without these, there would have been no income, meaning Britain couldn’t gain more land and secure more footholds. The trading companies played a significant role in triggering the Navigation Acts, but it was the acts themselves that put trade in the hands of the British. Therefore, it can be judged that the Navigation Acts were the main reason for the growth of the British Empire. The Navigation Acts were the most important aspects which not only helped, but accelerated the growth of the British Empire. The Navigation Acts which began in 1650 had four major aims in its mercantile policy, to encourage the growth of a native merchant marine fleet including colonial ships, to protect English agriculture and manufacturers from foreign competition and to make as much bullion as possible. It started off by forbidding the import of all goods, unless they were imported in English ships. This meant that other colonies or countries would have to buy ships off the English, meaning they gained more wealth, thus helping the growth of the British Empire. This provoked shit building which thus boosted the economy of the English. The English continues to
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