<P> The rapid growth in commercial agriculture increased the demand for slaves . As a result of the demand, there was increased pressure for supply . The source of slave labor was the African continent . Trans - Atlantic trade became an important part of the American colonies because of the rise in demand for raw materials in industrialized Europe . The Atlantic slave trade relied on slaves, raw materials and industrial goods from Europe . As a result of increased demand for raw materials in Europe the American colonial shipbuilding industry boomed . In 1710, there was a boom in the shipbuilding business . At first, it was out of necessity of fishing and traveling, but as more families became experts in shipbuilding craftsmanship, they began building new ships each winter . As the demand for fishing and traveling increased, so did the need of boats . By 1845, the Essex company was only building boats to supply to fishing companies . By the 1850s it was manufacturing up to 50 boats a year . Colonial ships began to play a large part in the Transatlantic trade, by the end of the century about a fifth of the plantation trade was carried in colonial ships . Because of the growth of manufacturing in America due to an abundance of materials and low labor costs, many British authorities supported the growth of the colonial shipbuilding industry . The Navigation Acts gave colonial built ships the same status and protection as those made in England . This allowed the shipbuilding industry to prosper even more . </P> <P> In the colonial period European powers were the economic powerhouses of the world . They heavily influenced commerce and trade in both North and South America . In particular, the British and the Spanish exerted their influence over the colonial economies . This influence helped determine the direction of economic advancement on the American continents . In Europe, there was an influx in the demand for products that required tropical climates . For example, tobacco and sugarcane were major items of trading . The climate in the two American continents was conducive to the growth of these products, hence the increased European interest in that part of the world in the period . The increased demand resulted in increased efforts of production and consequently an influx in investment . </P> <P> Some areas in the colonies were not conducive to the development of agriculture . This was the case in the New England colonies which consisted of the present day New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine and Massachusetts . These areas have poorly developed soils and are susceptible to poor climatic conditions . Nevertheless, New England did have prime access to the Atlantic Ocean . New England was able to create a thriving fishing industry to increase their shipbuilding market . New England's ideal placement and the demand that existed for water transport implied that they were involved in the shipping industry as a function of their agricultural impotence, their locations and the development of a fishing industry . </P> <P> The Transatlantic Triangular Trade involved three journeys each with the promise of a large profit and a full cargo . In reality, the journey was more complicated with ships traveling from all over Europe carrying manufactured goods to different ports along the African coast to trade for slaves . The ships from Africa then sailed across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and Americas to trade the slaves for raw materials . Finally the ships from America returned to Europe with raw materials such as sugar, tobacco, rice and cotton . The system of Triangular Trade allowed for goods to be traded for other goods, rather than being bought or sold . </P>

Which american colony's economy was based primarily on shipbuilding and fishing