Mercantilism

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…in the North American colonies started with lax enforcement and evolved into harsh punishment for those unwilling to follow the British Parliament and King. The most famous of these was the Navigation Laws, passed in 1650, but poor enforcement was common until more than a century later, in 1763. While Mercantilism may have given the colonists direct benefits, it also drove them into a rebellious state that helped them separate from England and become their own country.