Challenges Faced By The English Colonies In The 18th Century Essay

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The English colonies continued to grow, despite many challenges. They faced difficulties such as wars, restrictive laws, rebellions, and power-hungry kings and governors. Colonial governments were influenced by political changes in England. The English made new trade laws that limited free trade in the colonies. The Great Awakening and the Enlightenment led to ideas of political equality among many colonists. Also, French and Indian War gave England control of more land in North America.

Political changes in England influenced colonial governments. King James wanted more control of England, including the colonies. He united northern colonies under one government were called the Dominion of New England in 1686. The Parliament replaced him and passed the English Bill of Rights in 1689. The government of the English colonies differed from that of England. One part of the government were colonial courts. They controlled local affairs and protected individual freedom.

Earning money from trade was one of England’s reasons for founding the colonies. So, they practiced mercantilism, a system of creating and maintaining wealth through controlled trade. The Parliament passed a series of Navigation Acts between 1650 and 1696 to limit trade. This was one of the challenges the colonies had to deal with because the colonists had to …show more content…

Instead, it took a form of Triangular Trade. Triangular trade was a system in which goods and slaves were traded in the Americas, Great Britain, and Africa. Colonial merchants traveled great distances to find the best markets. Slaves were one of the big things traded this way. The slave trade brought millions of Africans to the Americas on a voyage called the Middle Passage. There were terrible conditions on the Middle Passage, causing thousands of captives to die on slave ships. This made the Atlantic Ocean a massive African

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