How did merchantilism affect the growth of colonies in the Americas

The purpose of the Navigation Acts was to limit colonial trade to Britain only. If the colonies wished to trade with anyone else, they had to go through England first. This policy allowed England to collect revenue from taxation. However, there were certain products that the colonists could only trade with England. Initially that was cotton, tobacco and sugar but, in time, that list grew and continuously decreased the number of goods the colonists could trade with other countries.