During the 1500's to 1800's, the strength and stature of a
country depended upon its political power, which can be traced to how self-sufficient it
was. Striving to be self-sufficient was what nations sought after; dependency was not a
characteristic of a powerful nation. Raw materials were the most required item to
strengthen the central government, and deter interactions, such as trade with other
nations. The first country to introduce mercantilism in America was Spain. The spanish
american colonies were not allowed to trade directly with Europe. Instead they had to
funnel all of the sugar and tobacco, two common commdities of the new land, through Spain.
When this was done, heavy custom duties were imposed and the central government gained.
Spanish American colonies were forced into providing precious metals and raw materials to
the mother country. These colonies existed only to enrich spain, even if the economic
policies adversly effected the well-being of the colonies. This grip caused the central
economy of Spain to grow at the expense of the colonies. During the duration of this
period, the 1500's through the 1700's, mercantilism had a major effect on the economies in
the new world. English speaking colonies were effected by England's policies and acts.
These policies and acts were means of controling the economy of the colonies in America
and strengthen the central government of England. Dutch traders had the commercial vessel
market well cornered in the 1640's. It was very difficult for English colonies to compete
with the Dutch. With owning 75 percent of Northern Europes' vessels, being well-financed
and experienced, the Dutch were going to stay in control of the market unless European
Parliament intervined. In 1651 the European parliament enacted the first Navigation Act to
undercut the Dutches domination. England was hoping that this Act would exclude the Dutch
from trade with the English and force its own merchant marine to grow. This act was the
first attempt to enforce merchantilism by England. The act proclaimed that all trade
between France and English colonies, Europe and English colonies, and the colonies with
themselves must be conducted on an english ship (Kurland). The British were hoping that
this would boost the economy and expand the mercant marine. The failure of this act was
caused by inadequate machinery to enforce the law. The english colonies publicly defied
the act and kept on trading with the Dutch. The restoration of Charles II brought about
major changes in 1660. All of the acts of the Commonwealth Parliament, including the
Navigation Act of 1651, were considered illigal under his rule (Kurland). Charles II did
not intend on doing away with the act, but revising it. The Navigation Act of 1660 was a
restatement of the 1651 act, but it also established a list of items including: tobacco,
cotton, wool, and indigo, that couldn't be shipped outside of the British empire (Barck
and Lefler). This Act made the english colonies frusterated for they could get a higher
price for these items outside of the british empire. The Navigation Act worked as a
disadvantage to the colonies, but helped the central economy and government of the british
by excluding such raw materials from trade to other countries. The Staple Act of 1663 was
an offshoot of the Navigation Acts. It stated that all European goods bound for the
American colonies must first land at an english port and then be reshipped to America in
English vessels (Kurland). The British would benefit from this act by imposing custom
duties on goods, which cost would be passed to the american consumer. The english
merchants would profit from handling, insurance, and shipping fees. This Act also provided
for a naval officer in all colonial ports to insure the upholding of the mercantile law.
From the American stand point, the Staple Act meant higher prices and a blatant attempt of
the British to exploit America for the benefit of the english merchants. There was no need
for the Staple Act to be passed. The Act served no other purpose other than the enrichment
of the British people and strengthening of the central government. Another example of the
British trying to exert control over America was with the Molasses Act of 1733. This Act
imposed a duty of nine pence per gallon on rum, six pence per gallon on molasses, and five
shillings per hundredweight of sugar imported from French or Spanish colonies. The was no
tax put on british rum, molasses, or sugar imported from British Colonies. The British,
trying to control the american colonies, were largely ineffective. The act was vastly
ignored by the Americans. The Americans were not going to obey a law passed by the
english, when the english had no way of enforcing it. The english colonies were pulling
away from the alligence to Britain. The British wanted the colonies to build the political
power of Britain, without getting anything in return. The British wanted to use up all of
the resources and raw materials of America, without the colonies resisting. After the
British recognized that the Molasses Act was ineffective, they amended it with the Suger
Act (Morison and Commager). Bribing customs officals into taking 1 and a half pence per
gallon not to notice the cargo being unloaded was how the Molasses Act failed. To do away
with this problem, the British cut the tax by fifty percent and strickly enforced it. Now
the colonies were objecting to the decreased tax. Before, the tax was not collected or
enforced so the Americans were happy. Now that the tax was collected the Americans were
feeling the threat of British rule. The British government was regarding the colonies as a
source of revenue. The colonies also noticed how the money was being spent and objected to
it. The British talked of how they needed money to support troops in America. The troops
were not there to protect the colonies, but to enforce British rule. The troops were
stationed at ports, not in the interior where the threat of attack was the greatest.
America existed for the sole purpose of strengthening the central government of England.
Unlike the rest of the Acts passed for the improvement of the british government, the
Stamp Act caused the biggest political storm. Everyone from small farmers to merchants
were effected. The parliament wanted the colonist to pay for some imperial expenses. To do
this, parliament passed the Stamp Act in 1765. This law made it illigal to puchase any
paper, newspapers, customs documents, various licenses, college diplomas, and numerous
legal forms for recovering debts, buying land, and making wills without a stamp bought buy
the British. The law enabled the British not only to generate revenues, but censor all
materials going into the public. The British would simply not stamp any material, such as
a newspaper, that were putting any comments about the British that were bad. The American
colonies did not reciate this law at all. They protested it with a vengance claiming,
"Taxation without representation is slavery." The working-class's approach to
this problem is to riot, gather great mobs and burn things, and beat up the tax
collectors. The upper-class's way of handling this was to make reforms and go about
changing this in a civilized manner. Everyone in the colonies could agree that the Stamp
Act was a selfish law made by the British to control the media and aquire revenues at the
expense of the colonies. During 1790 to 1795, mercantilism helped spark the economy of
America under Hamiltons authority. Hamilton wanted all foreign debts, amounting to 11.7
million, to be payed off in full (Kurland). This would establish a very high credit rating
with other nations and help the government create political power. Other debts the
Hamilton required to be payed off or assumed were the 40 million in Confederation war
bonds and 28 million in debts of individual states (kurland). For the good of the creating
a cash economy and strengthing the U.S. credit rating, Hamilton wanted to induce a Bank of
the United States under the "implied powers" clause. The system of banking he
purposed was very similar to that of Englands. Founded in 1791, the Bank of the United
States had the duties of financing the federal government during war, regulating credit,
and producing sound currency. Hamilton also had the idea of making the bank privately
owned, so it would run proficiently. This would give the federal government a backbone
during times of war or emergencies and make it much more powerful. Hamilton also called
for American self-sufficiency. The report on Manufactures of 1791, written by Hamilton,
promoted tariffs on imports to protect manufacturing and create national wealth. America
was building its political power by manipulating its economy. What the British were once
doing to the colonies, the colonies were now doing to themselves. America was using the
idea of mercantilism to run the country and build political power. In conclusion, the
whole purpose for England to develope and carry out the Acts they passed were to stay in
control of the colony's economy and better their central government. The British troops
were not there to protect, but to carry out english laws. The Stamp Act was developed to
control the media and legal documents so the colonies wouldn't stray away and acquire
their own system. The Navigation Act was to stop the dominating Dutch from taking over the
commercial vessel industry and build up Englands merchant marine. The Molasses and Sugar
Acts were to make America pay for its so called troops and help British merchants.
Britains mercantilistic ideas in these Acts show their disregard for the new colonies and
the exploitation of their resources. After the War for Independence, America took some
mercantilistic ideas to begin building their political power and economy.
