What were the consequences of the Navigation Acts for colonial development?

The Navigation Acts, a series of laws passed starting in the mid-17th century, mandated that colonial trade be conducted primarily through English ships and that certain goods produced in the colonies, like tobacco and sugar, could only be exported to England. This created restrictions on colonial trade and limited the colonies' ability to trade freely with other nations, resulting in both positive and negative consequences for colonial development.

The correct answer highlights that the Navigation Acts indeed limited economic growth in the colonies by confining their trading options. While the acts aimed to promote the economic interests of England and generate revenue for the crown, they restricted colonial merchants from seeking out potentially more lucrative trade opportunities with other countries, leading to stunted economic diversification and reliance on the British economy. This framework created frustration among colonists, contributing to growing discontent and setting the stage for later revolutionary sentiments against British oversight and control over colonial affairs. Consequently, the restrictive nature of these acts played a significant role in shaping the economic landscape of the colonies, making option B the most accurate representation of the consequences of the Navigation Acts.