Second Navigation Act: England Tightens Colonial Trade
England's merchants convinced Parliament to tighten the noose. The 1663 Navigation Act went further than the first: now colonial goods couldn't just be shipped on English vessels—they had to pass through English ports first, even if bound for Europe. A barrel of Virginia tobacco headed to France would cross the Atlantic twice. Colonial merchants watched profits vanish into London's warehouses, paying English duties, English fees, English middlemen. The law added roughly 30% to colonial shipping costs. It took 113 years, but someone eventually calculated whether revolution was cheaper than compliance.
July 27, 1663
363 years ago
Key Figures & Places
England
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Thirteen Colonies
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British Parliament
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Navigation Acts#The 1660 Act
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American colonies
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Parliament
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Navigation Acts#The Navigation Acts
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England
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Parliament of England
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Acts of Union 1707
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House of Commons of the United Kingdom
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Thirteen Colonies
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Navigation Acts
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