"Describe the relationship between a specific English act (or set of acts) and either mercantilism or salutary neglect."
There is an obvious connection between the Navigation acts and the idea of mercantilism. The Navigation acts, in simple terms, said that America could ONLY export goods to Great Britain and had to use British ships. Mercantilism is the marriage of big government with big business to form a monopoly. Great Britain used the Navigation acts as a means of Mercantilism. They wanted to monopolize the trade system of the world, and since they owned the majority of the new world, they used this to demonstrate their power. The rest of the world was wondering about America. What was it really like? What goods and treasures existed there? It was a grand mystery. The fact that Britain owned this mystery gave Britain incredible power. The problem was, Britain wasn't fair to the colonists who had risked their lives to establish the colonies. They overtaxed the colonists and completely controlled trade and denied the colonists the right to representation. The colonists became frustrated and knew they had to revolt. A scrawny group of colonist farmers fighting against the most powerful army in the world seems like a rediculous idea. Couldn't it only end in massacre? But how often we discount the fact that it is God who gives and God who takes away. He performed a miracle for the colonists, similar to the battle of Jericho for the Israelites. It was impossible, absolutely, but it happened. Do we forget this today? God is in control of ALL things. Why do we fear for our future when God is with us? If we have faith and courage as a country to stand up and throw ourselves, including our will, into the arms of God, he will redeem the wicked path we're on.
