Question

The Navigation Acts of the 1650s has all the following purposes except:
(A) To protect colonial trade
(B) To increase profit for Great Britain
(C) To maintain English control over colonial trade
(D) To foster a mercantilist economy
(E) To increase imports to the colonies while decreasing exports.

Answer 1

Hint: The purpose that is not included in this act is related to imports and exports. Import is a process of buying commodities for our nation or state and export means selling commodities to a particular nation or state.

Complete Solution:
The navigation act of 1650 was passed by the British parliament. The act was formulated to get control over trade between Britain and its colonies. The provision of the act included importing goods from Asia and Africa continent to England and its colonies through ships, The American colonies of England were only able to export their goods through English ships, The goods were imported from the European continent to England through ships, The products related to fish, fish oil, or whale that were brought to England were also caught by English ships. This act is also called “ An act for encouraging and increasing shipping and navigation”. The commencement of the action took place on 1st December 1660.
Additional Information – This act was passed by the Rump Parliament led by Oliver Cromwell. The navigation act of 1663 is also called an act for the encouragement of the trade, and the navigation act of 1673 is called An act for the encouragement of the Greenland and Eastland trades and for better securing the plantation trade.

So, the correct answer is option E.

Note : The policies formed by the Britishers were based on the theory of Mercantilism. It was an economic theory. The theory was written to increase or enhance the power of the state. The provisions of the acts are based on these theories.