Glossary
Colonial Resistance
The various ways in which American colonists opposed or defied British policies, particularly those related to trade and taxation, often stemming from mercantilist restrictions.
Example:
The widespread smuggling and boycotts of British goods were early forms of colonial resistance against the economic limitations imposed by mercantilism.
Mercantilism
The dominant economic theory from 1500-1750, asserting that national wealth and power are maximized by accumulating gold and silver, primarily through exporting more than importing.
Example:
Under mercantilism, Britain viewed its American colonies primarily as a source of raw materials like timber and tobacco, which it would then process and sell back as finished goods.
Navigation Acts
A series of English laws, beginning in 1650, designed to enforce mercantilist policies by restricting colonial trade to only Britain.
Example:
The Navigation Acts meant that a colonial merchant in Boston could not legally sell his furs directly to a French buyer, but had to ship them to England first.
Salutary neglect
An unofficial British policy of lenient or lax enforcement of parliamentary laws, especially trade laws like the Navigation Acts, in the American colonies.
Example:
During the period of salutary neglect, colonial merchants often engaged in smuggling with little fear of punishment, allowing them greater economic freedom than the Navigation Acts intended.
Transatlantic trade
A massive exchange of goods, people, and ideas across the Atlantic Ocean, connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
Example:
The transatlantic trade brought new crops like potatoes and corn to Europe, fundamentally changing European diets and agriculture.
Triangular trade
A complex system of trade routes connecting the Americas, Europe, and Africa, primarily driven by mercantilism and the demand for raw materials and enslaved labor.
Example:
The triangular trade route saw New England rum shipped to Africa to trade for enslaved people, who were then brought to the West Indies to produce sugar and molasses, which in turn went back to New England.