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Restoration England 1660-1685Introduction

Setting the Scene

Part of Trade and Economy — GCSE History

This introduction covers Setting the Scene within Trade and Economy for GCSE History. Revise Trade and Economy in Restoration England 1660-1685 for GCSE History with 8 exam-style questions and 4 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 1 of 14 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.

Topic position

Section 1 of 14

Practice

8 questions

Recall

4 flashcards

📖 Setting the Scene

In 1660, England was becoming a trading nation. Ships sailed to India, West Africa, the Caribbean, and the American colonies, bringing back spices, sugar, tobacco, and — increasingly — enslaved people. The Royal African Company, founded in 1660, held the monopoly on English slave trading. London was growing as a commercial centre. Coffee houses opened (the first had appeared in the 1650s), becoming centres for business deals and news. This was an economy in transition — from medieval farming to early capitalism, from local markets to global trade.

▶ British Empire & Trade - Extra History (10 mins)

Keep building this topic

Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in Trade and Economy. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.

Key Features of Restoration EconomyKey Trading CompaniesSocial & Economic Structure

Practice Questions for Trade and Economy

Which company was founded in 1660 and given a monopoly on the English slave trade?

  • A. The East India Company
  • B. The Royal African Company
  • C. The Hudson's Bay Company
  • D. The Levant Company
1 markfoundation

What did the Navigation Acts of 1660 require?

  • A. All English merchants to pay a tax on goods imported from the colonies
  • B. Colonial goods to be shipped to England on English-owned ships
  • C. The Royal African Company to share its monopoly with other English merchants
  • D. Coffee houses in London to be licensed by the Crown
1 markfoundation

Quick Recall Flashcards

What were the Navigation Acts?
Laws (1651, renewed and strengthened 1660) requiring colonial goods to be shipped on English vessels crewed mainly by English sailors. Protected English merchants from Dutch competition and were the direct economic trigger for the Second Dutch War.
What was the East India Company?
English trading company (founded 1600) with monopoly on trade with Asia. Under Charles II it expanded significantly — establishing permanent trading posts (factories) in India at Bombay (part of Catherine of Braganza's dowry in 1661). The basis of England's future Indian empire.

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Key Features of Restoration Economy