Describe the relationship between mercantilist assumptions, Parliament

Describe the relationship between mercantilist assumptions, Parliament’s Navigation Acts, and the development of the colonial American economy.

What will be an ideal response?

ANSWER
Mercantilists assumed that national wealth (a favorable balance of trade) meant national power. The Navigation Acts were designed to produce that wealth for England (enumerated articles, etc.). The navigation system placed some burdens upon the colonial American economy (depressed the tobacco market, restricted manufacturing), but also provided some benefits (stimulated shipbuilding, subsidies for indigo production).