Effects Of Mercantilism

Beginning in 1651, the British government intervened in the international trade economy and enforced a policy of mercantilism to increase the British empire’s wealth. The colonists were forced to help the British achieve their goal of having their exports exceed their imports, so the colonists provided raw goods, which the Brits used to produce manufactured goods. Great Britain used mercantilism as the colonists’ payment for living on British land. Moreover, Britain’s parliament passed four Navigation Acts, which did not allow the colonists to trade directly to other countries. These acts limited the colonists to gain little wealth on their exports, which left many of the colonists in poverty. However, the colonists took advantage of protected markets for crops such as tobacco, cheap English imports, and commercial opportunities. …show more content…
Although the colonists created an amicable trade relationship with the British and had a demand for their raw goods, British mercantilism caused all of the colonist’s trading profits to be given to the English as rent for being tenants of