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In God We Don't Trust  /  Chapter 14: Navigation Restraints and Expensive Molasses  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 2
The chapter stresses that the 1651 Navigation Act was passed by the Puritan Parliament under Cromwell, aimed at the Dutch, and even treated colonial-owned ships as “English ships”; how does that complicate the common story of “Christian England vs. oppressed Christian colonists,” and what does it suggest about how easily believers can confuse national narratives with moral clarity?
Another way to ask: How does it change the story when the 1651 Navigation Act was made by Puritans under Cromwell and targeted the Dutch, even counting colonial ships as “English”? What does that show about how Christians can mix up national stories with what is truly right?

Direct Answer The transcript complicates the “Christian England vs. oppressed colonists” storyline by showing the first Navigation Act came from a Puritan-led government and was designed for an international shipping fight with the Dutch, not as a scheme to crush the colonies. It suggests believers can mistake a national myth for moral truth when they don’t check what actually happened.

Support from Transcript:

  • Bercot notes the 1651 Act was passed “when there was no English monarch… passed by the Puritan Parliament during the rule of Oliver Cromwell.”
  • He emphasizes the act “was aimed at the Dutch, not the American colonies,” because the Netherlands dominated shipping.
  • The statute counted colonial vessels as English: “ships owned by the American colonies were considered English ships.”
  • Since colonists were “English citizens,” they met the requirement of “primarily English” crews.
  • The purpose was to block Dutch carriers: e.g., a French merchant couldn’t ship wine on a Dutch ship to England/colonies.
Discussion Follow-ups How often do Christians assume “our side” is innocent because it sounds spiritually respectable (Puritan, Christian nation, etc.)? What habits help separate patriotism from truth?

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