England started the Navigation Acts in the mid-1600s to

1.) Roger Williams 2.) John Winthrop and 3.) William Bradford

In the 1600s, for Britain to restrict colonial trade, the Navigation Acts were made. The Parliament made the Acts to protect the British shipping against the Dutch and other foreign powers. The competition in trading was very evident during that time thus this was one of their purposes. Another is for Britain to have monopoly on colonial commodities like tobacco and sugar. During that time, the principle of mercantilism dominated when it comes to the economic system. The context stated that the nation’s wealth depends on accumulated supply of gold. As per conventional wisdom, wealth is limited because there is also a limited supply of gold. And imperialism states that primarily colonies, preferably through the discovery of gold but also through the production of natural resources, expanded its wealth. Mercantilist model states that open trade could only result to loss of wealth and this was what the Navigation Acts wanted to lessen if not abolish. The Acts were made for the purpose of retaining the imperial realm’s wealth where trading power had to utilize the colonies’ resources within a closed - trade system.