The Navigation Act. [Oct. 9, 1651. Scobell's Acts of Parliament, pt. ii, p. 176.

See Commonwealth and Protectorate, ii.

147.]
[Cap. 22.] Goods from Foreign parts by whom to be imported.
For the increase of the shipping and the encouragement of the navigation of this nation, which
[1]
under the good
providence and protection of God is so great a means of the welfare and safety of this Commonwealth: be it enacted by
this present Parliament, and the authority thereof, that from and after the first day of December, one thousand six
hundred fifty and one, and from thence forwards, no goods or commodities whatsoever of the growth, production or
manufacture of Asia, Africa or America, or of any part thereof; or of any islands belonging to them, or which are
described or laid down in the usual maps or cards of those places, as well of the English plantations as others, shall be
imported or brought into this Commonwealth of England, or into Ireland, or any other lands, islands, plantations, or
territories to this Commonwealth belonging, or in their possession, in any other ship or ships, vessel or vessels
whatsoever, but only in such as do truly and without fraud belong only to the people of this Commonwealth, or the
plantations thereof, as the proprietors or right owners thereof; and whereof the master and mariners are also for the
most part of them of the people of this Commonwealth, under the penalty of the forfeiture and loss of all the goods that
shall be imported contrary to this act; as also of the ship (with all her tackle, guns and apparel) in which the said goods
or commodities shall be so brought in and imported; the one moiety to the use of the Commonwealth, and the other
moiety to the use and behoof of any person or persons who shall seize the goods or commodities, and shall prosecute
the same in any court of record within this Commonwealth.
And it is further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that no goods or commodities of the growth, production, or
manufacture of Europe, or of any part thereof, shall after the first day of December, one thousand six hundred fifty and
one, be imported or brought into this Commonwealth of England, or into Ireland, or any other lands, islands, plantations
or territories to this Commonwealth belonging, or in their possession, in any ship or ships, vessel or vessels whatsoever,
but in such as do truly and without fraud belong only to the people of this Commonwealth, as the true owners and
proprietors thereof, and in no other, except only such foreign ships and vessels as do truly and properly belong to the
people of that country or place, of which the said goods are the growth, production or manufacture; or to such ports
where the said goods can only be, or most usually are first shipped for transportation; and that under the same penalty
of forfeiture and loss expressed in the former branch of this Act, the said forfeitures to be recovered and employed as is
therein expressed.
And it is further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that no goods or commodities that are of foreign growth,
production or manufacture, and which are to be brought into this Commonwealth in shipping belonging to the people
thereof, shall be by them shipped or brought from any other place or places, country or countries, but only from those
of their said growth, production, or manufacture, or from those ports where the said goods and commodities can only,
or are, or usually have been first shipped for transportation; and from none other places or countries, under the same
penalty of forfeiture and loss expressed in the first branch of this Act, the said forfeitures to be recovered and employed
as is therein expressed.
And it is further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that no sort of cod-fish, ling, herring, pilchard, or any other kind of
salted fish, usually fished for and caught by the people of this nation; nor any oil made, or that shall be made of any kind
of fish whatsoever, nor any whale-fins, or whale-bones, shall from henceforth be imported into this Commonwealth or
into Ireland, or any other lands, islands, plantations, or territories thereto belonging, or in their possession, but only
such as shall be caught in vessels that do or shall truly and properly belong to the people of this nation, as proprietors
and right owners thereof; and the said fish to be cured, and the oil aforesaid made by the people of this Commonwealth,
under the penalty and loss expressed in the first branch of this present Act; the said forfeit to be recovered and
employed as is there expressed.
And it is further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that no sort of cod, ling, herring or pilchard, or any other kind of
salted fish whatsoever, which shall bo caught and cured by the people of this Commonwealth, shall be from and after
the first of February, one thousand six hundred fifty three, exported from any place or places belonging to this
Commonwealth, in any other ship or ships, vessel or vessels, save only in such as do truly and properly appertain to the
people of this Commonwealth, as right owners; and whereof the master and mariners are for the most part of them
English, under the penalty and loss expressed in the said first branch of this present Act; the said forfeit to be recovered
and employed as is there expressed.
Provided always, that this Act, nor anything therein contained, extend not, or be meant to restrain the importation of
any of the commodities of the Straits
[2]
or Levant seas, laden in the shipping of this nation as aforesaid, at the usual ports
or places for lading of them heretofore, within the said Straits or Levant seas, though the said commodities be not of the
very growth of the said places.
Provided also, that this Act nor anything therein contained, extend not, nor be meant to restrain the importing of any
East India commodities laden in the shipping of this nation, at the usual port or places for lading of them heretofore in
any part of those seas, to the southward and eastward of Cabo Bona Esperanza,
[3]
although the said ports be not the
very places of their growth.
Provided also, that it shall and may be lawful to and for any of the people of this Commonwealth, in vessels or ships to
them belonging, and whereof the master and mariners are of this nation as aforesaid, to load and bring in from any of
the ports of Spain and Portugal, all sorts of goods or commodities that have come from, or any way belonged unto the
plantations or dominions of either of them respectively.
Be it also further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that from henceforth it shall not be lawful to any person or persons
whatsoever to load or cause to be laden and carried in any bottom or bottoms, ship or ships, vessel or vessels,
whatsoever, whereof any stranger or strangers born (unless such be denizens or naturalized) be owners, or masters, any
fish, victual, wares, or things of what kind or nature soever the same shall be, from one port or creek of this
Commonwealth, to another port or creek of the same, under penalty to every one that shall offend contrary to the true
meaning of this branch of this present Art, to forfeit all the goods that shall be so laden or carried, as also the ship upon
which they shall be so laden or carried, the same forfeit to be recovered and employed as directed in the first branch of
this present Act.
Lastly, that this Act nor anything therein contained, extend not to bullion, nor yet to any goods taken, or that shall be
taken by way of reprisal by any ship or ships, having commission from this commonwealth.
Provided, that this Act, or anything therein contained, shall not extend, nor be construed to extend to any silk or silk
wares which shall be brought by laud from any part of Italy, and there bought with the proceed of English commodities,
sold either for money or in barter: but that it shall and may be lawful for any of the people of this Commonwealth to
ship the same in English vessels from Ostend, Nieuport, Rotterdam, Middelburg, Amsterdam, or any ports thereabouts,
the owners and proprietors first making oath by themselves, or other credible witnesses, before the Commissioners of
the Customs for the time being or their deputies, or one of the Barons of the Exchequer, that the goods aforesaid were
so bought for his or their own proper account in Italy.
[1]
When this Act was re-enacted after the Restoration many changes were made, the most important being that the prohibition of importing in foreign bottoms was
extended to exports (12 Car. II, Cap. 18).
[2]
'The Straits' are the Straits of Gibraltar, but the term includes the Mediterranean, or, as here, the western part of it.
[3]
The Cape of Good Hope.
1. On page 35 of your United States History Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination book, read the
section entitled Mercantilism and the Empire. Identify three statements from the text above that would indicate that
this text is supportive of the basic policies of mercantilism. Explain.
2. Explain which historical theme(s) would be best for viewing and interpreting the primary source document above.
3. Explain which historical thinking skill(s) could be used to better understand the above documents role in the shaping
of life in Colonial America.