GED Social Studies TestU.S. HistoryEasy
A historian is examining the economic and political factors that led to the American Revolution. Which of the following British policies most directly contributed to the colonists' sense of economic grievance and political disenfranchisement?
- AThe establishment of the Dominion of New England, which consolidated colonial governments.
- BThe Navigation Acts, which restricted colonial trade to benefit British merchants.
- CThe Albany Plan of Union, which proposed a unified colonial government.
- DThe Proclamation of 1763, which limited colonial expansion westward.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. The Navigation Acts, which restricted colonial trade to benefit British merchants.
The Navigation Acts were a series of British laws that mandated that most colonial goods be shipped to England first, often on British ships, and taxed. This policy was a direct economic grievance for colonists, restricting their trade freedom and fostering resentment against British control.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. The Dominion of New England caused political unrest but was not primarily an economic grievance for all colonies in the same way the Navigation Acts were.
- C. The Albany Plan of Union was a proposal for colonial unity, not a British policy imposed to restrict trade or create economic grievance.
- D. The Proclamation of 1763 limited westward expansion, which was a source of frustration, but did not directly regulate all colonial trade in the same manner as the Navigation Acts.
Navigation Acts
A series of English laws, beginning in 1651, that controlled colonial trade and shipping to favor English economic interests.
- Required most colonial goods to be shipped on English vessels.
- Mandated certain enumerated goods could only be shipped to England.
- Aimed to create a favorable balance of trade for England.
- Contributed to colonial resentment and the push for independence.
Memory trick: Trade chains sparked the revolution's flames.