was without precedent in Europe. Besides
this, the progress which Holland made in ship-building and navigation
and the advantages which she derived from her colonial trade placed her
in a position to outstrip all other nations in the carrying trade of
Europe. During the first half of the seventeenth century the Dutch were
justly called the freighters of Europe. But the injury which their
policy did to the commercial and manufacturing interests of other
European nations led both England and France to adopt measures well
calculated to accomplish, in a short time, their commercial
emancipation. Louis XIV., in order to build up French shipping,
collected a tonnage from every foreign ship which entered a French
harbor. England went still further. In 1651 Oliver Cromwell promulgated
the Navigation Act, by which foreign ships were prohibited from
importing into England any goods except such as were produced or
manufactured in their own countries. This was a heavy blow at the Dutch,
who were thus deprived of the privilege of effecting the exchange of
commercial commodities between England and her colonies as well as the
continent. The war which the Dutch Republic waged against England, to
force her to revoke this act, resulted in favor of the latter and ended
the commercial supremacy of the Dutch in Europe.

England, which before this time had played but a secondary role as a
commercial power, rose fast to prominence after her successful struggle
with the Dutch. She commenced to strengthen her industries by the
adoption of a high tariff policy, and her merchants were encouraged to
enter into commercial relations with colonists and foreigners. The
privileges which had been given to foreign tradesmen were revoked, while
ship-building and navigation were greatly favored by the government. As
England gained greater strength as a naval power, her foreign policy
became more aggressive.

In 1600 the "Company of Merchants of London Trading to the East Indies"
obtained a charter, and, in spite of Dutch and Portuguese opposition,
soon gained a foothold on the Moluccas and the coast of Malabar, whence
it extended in time its dominion to Surat, Bombay, Madras and Calcutta.
Here they built forts and established their commerce. From these places
the company pushed into the interior, until finally, after repeated
struggles with the natives and European rivals, the whole of Hindostan
came under English dominion. As its power increased, the co