X Preface, 



on the part of the government, and ignorance of the indus- 

 trial conditions in America favored the economic independence 

 of the colonists. The sudden efforts of the mother-country, 

 between 1763 and 1774, to eniforce restrictive legislation after 

 years of laxity brought on the Revolution : her attempts to 

 compel the plantations to furnish stores for the royal navy, 

 afford a no less striking illustration of the failure of govern- 

 ment policy to coincide with the best interests of the colonists. 

 Had the eighteenth century economists read aright the lessons 

 taught by these industrial experiments they might profitably 

 have made the application to the question of taxation, and 

 learned discretion. 



The main sources of my information regarding the produc- 

 tion of naval stores are the original documents known as the 

 "Board of Trade Papers," now in the custody of the Public 

 Record Office, London. For contemporary opinion upon 

 colonial policy I have consulted the most noteworthy pam- 

 phlets and treatises relating to the colonies; and for a modern 

 treatment of the subject I am especially indebted to Dr. Wm. 

 Cunningham's "Growth of English Industry and Commerce.'' 



I wish to acknowledge my obligation to Prof. H. B. Adams, 

 of the Johns Hopkins University, for his courtesy during the 

 preparation of this volume for the press; and to Prof. C. M. 

 Andrews, of Bryn Mawr College, who has read both manu- 

 script and proof, and assisted me at every point by criticism 

 and advice. 



Eleanor L. Lord. 



Baltimore, February 4, 1898. 



