What were the Navigation Acts and how did they effect the colonies?

The
Navigation Acts were a series of laws passed to regulate trade between Great Britain and her
colonies, including America. The overall purpose of these laws was to ensure self-sufficiency in
the British Empire by reducing reliance on foreign imports. The first Navigation Act of 1651
stipulated that all trade between England the colonies should be carried in English or colonial
vessels. This immediately put the British Empire at odds with her main...