By the end of the 17th century, New England colonists had tapped into a sprawling Atlantic trade network that connected them to the English homeland as well as the West African slave coast, the ... In spite of their shortcomings, the New Englanders built a thriving mercantile network and a lucrative shipbuilding system. read more
In response, between 1698 and 1717, the English government imposed an unfavorable trade balance on New England and New York by raising duties against major colonial exports like fish (to protect English fisheries) and meat (to protect English agriculture). read more