According to quantitative estimates of the burden of the Navigation Acts on the colonies, what can be said about the (net) effect of the Acts?
A) The Navigation Acts placed a serious economic burden on the colonies, with estimates of this burden equaling roughly 40 percent of 1770s GNP.
B) The Navigation Acts were the critical reason why colonists revolted against the British.
C) After accounting for the protection provided by the British, there was very little economic burden to colonists from the Navigation Acts.
D) Existing data do not allow for credible estimates of the economic burden of the Navigation Acts on the colonies.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

After accounting for the protection provided by the British, such as military defense and the benefits of being part of a vast trading system, the net economic burden of the Navigation Acts on the American colonies was considered to be minimal. This perspective suggests that while the Acts did impose restrictions, the overall economic impact, when considering the benefits provided by the British, was not significantly detrimental.

According to Quantitative Estimates of the Burden of the Navigation