The Navigation System was spurred by the economic theory of Mercantilism, a theory that seemed to dominate the European way of thinking in order to regulate commerce, industry and labor in order to increase the power of the state at the expense of another nation. The first act under this system was the Navigation Act of 1651. Parliament passed this piece of legislation in an attempt to pre-empt the influence of Dutch merchants by requiring all goods imported into England or the colonies to be carried on English or colonial ships. The Navigation Act of 1660 strengthened the Navigations Act of 1651 by adding that certain enumerated goods (sugar, indigo, tobacco) could be shipped only to other English possessions. It also increased the percentage of the ships' crews to be run by at least three-fourths English from before, which was only one- half, and of course the Master and ship must...