A striking similarity between British and Spanish colonial attitudes in their American colonies was in the desire of the home government to

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maintain strict control over trade. Both the British and Spanish governments implemented measures to limit commercial activities within their colonies and ensure that most profits flowed back to the motherland. The British enacted laws such as the Navigation Acts, which restricted colonial trade to only British ships and mandated that certain goods could only be sold to British markets. Similarly, the Spanish enforced the mercantilist system, granting exclusive trade rights to Spanish merchants and requiring colonies to trade solely with Spain. This desire for economic dominance by the home government led to tensions with the colonists and ultimately played a significant role in the eventual independence movements in both British and Spanish colonies in the Americas. Did you know that strict control over trade was a common characteristic of British and Spanish colonial rule in the Americas, and it greatly influenced the independence movements in these regions?