It may have been because American merchants and sea captains found themselves at a loss with the absence of the treaty protection they had enjoyed as English subjects. Or it may have been the need to trade on British wealth. Whatever the cause, within a few short years a large part of American trade was in British hands, just as it had been before the Revolution. American trade with Europe was carried on through English merchants very much as the Navigation Acts had defined.

One of the earliest and most lasting traits of the American people is their adaptability. The Americans showed it again now. They adjusted themselves to restored trade dependence upon Great Britain. At the same time, though, they looked for new markets. A striking example can be found in the development of trade with the Far East. The story of Captain Cook's voyage around the world (1768-1771) was first published in London in 1773.