The Dutch were masters of the sea. They dominated trade, especially in England's colonies. Dutch ships, called fluits or flyboats, could ship colonial exports more cheaply, offer a greater variety of imports, and generally provide a level of reliability England could not match. This meant that the Dutch controlled the lion's share of the market and therefore the lion's share of the profits.
This made the English government angry. Parliament and Cromwell wanted to seize the benefits of their colonies' trade. That's why they had colonies after all - to make money off them! The Navigation Acts, they hoped, would eliminate or at least minimize Dutch competition. Dutch ships could no longer pick up colonial exports or bring most imports into England and her colonies.
In passing the Navigation Acts, the English government was also trying to work out a practical application of one of its favorite economic theories, namely, mercantilism. Mercantilism, which first became popular in the 16th century, operated on the following principles:
