In the 1760s, smuggling was an important part of the colonial economy. What does smuggling mean?
stealing goods from foreign merchants shipping goods secretly or illegally producing metal from minerals and rocks trading one good for another without the use of money
Smuggling means shipping goods into or out of a place secretly or illegally.
Why did the colonists smuggle?
Smuggling was a way for the colonists to trade with anyone they wanted. British laws often said the colonies could only trade with Great Britain or British colonies. Smugglers ignored these laws and traded with other countries anyway.
Smuggling was also a way for colonial merchants to avoid paying taxes. If the British tax collectors did not know a product was coming into the colonies, they had no way to tax it.