Prompt: How did Mercantilism affect the political and economic development of England’s 13 American colonies?
Mercantilism affected the the economics of mostly the New England colonies and somewhat for the Middle colonies because they were a mixture of both, and the Southern colonies’ economies were not as impacted by mercantilism as the others were. Mercantilism affected the politics of all the colonies equally because it disallowed the colonies from governing themselves. England was also practicing this theory of mercantilism and they needed to make sure the colonies were following their their laws in order to continue to make money off of them
Mercantilism mainly affected the New England colonies and their politics because it didn’t give them the freedom to govern themselves. Because the mother country, England, relied so heavily on the work and trade of their colonies they needed to keep an eye out on the colonies and make sure that thing were being done the way they sought necessary. For example, the text reads, “During the next two decades, Charles II and James tried in several ways to tighten their control over the colonies. Their actions reached a peak in 1686 when James, now King James II, attempted to take direct control over New York and the New England colonies by creating the Dominion of New England. This action abolished colonial legislatures within the Dominion and replaced them with a governor and a council appointed by James II.” This quote signifies the complete lack of freedom given to the colonies to govern themselves because of how vital their trade was to the mother country. The mother country needed someone in the colonies that they knew very well and that they knew would cater to the needs of England. Therefore, they appointed governor to watch over the colonies and make sure that they were doing what England needed them to do in order to increase bullion.
The Essay on Southern Colonies England Document Colonists
When the colonists settled in America in the 17 th century, many of them had different reasons for coming, believed in various religions and set goals and accomplishments both for themselves and their families. Some came to America because of religious persecution, and some came to America to obtain wealth. The colonists settled into what was to become the northern and the southern colonies. Over ...
Mercantilism only affected the economies of the Middle colonies somewhat and heavily for the economies of the New England colonies because they relied on a system of commerce and they made their money based off of trade rather than agriculture and slavery as seen in the southern colonies. The New England colonies depended on long-distance trade also known as the triangular trade. For instance, the text reads, “New England traders hauled china, books, and cloth from England to the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. From the Caribbean they would transport sugar back to New England, where it was usually distilled into rum. They traded the rum and firearms for slaves in West Africa and then carried slaves to the West Indies for more sugar. This trade between three points in the Atlantic world-the Americas, Europe, and Africa-was called triangular trade.” This quote signified the extent of the triangular trade and how it affected the economy of the New England colonies. The Middle colonies were a mixture of economic systems. More specifically the text reads, “From Maryland north to New York, the economy of the Middle colonies were a mixture of farming and commerce-There they specialized in growing grains, including wheat, barley, and rye. This kind of farming was very profitable. Commerce however was just as important as agriculture in the Middle Colonies.” This shows how the theory of mercantilism affected economics of England’s colonies. It gave them a way to make money and trade with other nations.
Mercantilism is a very profitable theory. It made a way for mercantilists to trade and make money off of the colonies. It allowed the mother countries to build their bullion off of the hard work of the colonies. Due to the difference in economic systems, there was a different impact that mercantilism had on the 13 colonies. New England colonies and some of the Middle Colonies were more heavily impacted by mercantilism due to their system of commerce. The southern colonies relied on agriculture and crops to make their money and weren’t as affected by mercantilism. However, mercantilism affected the politics of all 13 of the colonies because no matter which colony it was they were not allowed the freedom to govern themselves as they pleased because England needed the work of the colonies in order to continue to benefit from their work.
The Essay on Similarities Between The Settler Societies Of New England, The Middle Colonies, Chesapeake, And The South
The settler societies of New England, the middle colonies, the Chesapeake, and the South had similarities as well as many differences, some being religious beliefs, labor, and their societies economic standpoint. In the article, “Advice to a Young Tradesman” by Benjamin Franklin, it’s stated, “…the way to wealth, if you desire it, is as plain as the way to market. It depends chiefly on two words, ...
