Why did the British government relax rules regulating trade for the American colonies in the late 1600s? A. The British hoped the colonies would become wealthier and spend more on manufactured goods from Britain.
B. The British were afraid the colonists would revolt because they wanted a form of self-government.
C. The British wanted to weaken Britain’s trade rivals, especially the Netherlands.
D. The British wanted the colonists to develop a form of self-government similar to the representative body in Britain.