Question

Why did England forbid the sale of wool, sugar, molasses, and tobacco from the colonies to other countries?
A) Merchants were trying to protect against a shortage of these products.
B) English merchants feared competition from the colonies.
C) Colonial merchants charged too much for these products.
D) England was trying to control the currency.

Answer 1

B) English merchants feared competition from the colonies

Answer 2

B. English merchants feared competition from the colonies.

Explanation:

England forbade the sale of wool, sugar, molasses, and tobacco from the colonies to other countries because English merchants feared competition from the colonies.

England only wanted the colonists to trade with their mother country, which was Great Britain. This would mean more money for Great Britain since the colonists had nobody else to trade with. This also meant that there would be no competition for prices so Great Britain could charge what they want for it.

This had to do with the Navigation Acts, which restricted the colonies from only trading with Great Britain. A lot of colonists did not agree to these laws and some of them even resorted to smuggling.