The Role of the Colonies in the British Mercantilist System Essay

The Role of the Colonies in the British Mercantilist System - Essay ExampleThis research allow for begin with the statement that in the early 17th century, England was a second rate producer, merchant and ocean force. By the end of the century, it pushed out its first class competitors, such(prenominal) as the Dutch and the French, through its host prowess and economic ingenuity. big businessman James II, a firm believer in the divine mature of a ruler, solidified the colonial rule. Though his successors, who would loosen the grip on the power over colonies, the British imperium was based on commerce and thus its protection through military prowess. British Empire expanded using its colonies as a source of economic progress and status symbol among opposite countries. With King James II, British colonies turned into a source of profit and power for the British Empire. King James II attempted to create a centrally managed Atlantic Empire. Though the Glorious mutation weakened r oyal grip on power, King James II put forth the foundations of mercantilism, such as the need to expand economically in order to be a glorious empire. British colonies thus served to improve British economic status among other monarchies and in work outent states and towns in Europe. Mercantilism was a policy promoting self-sufficiency among countries of the day. According to Nettels, the policy aimed to gain for the nation a high degree of warrantor or self-sufficiency, especially as regards food supply, raw materials needed for essential industries, and the sinews of war. With this goal in mind, the British aristocracy pursued colonies which could produce sugar, tobacco and other food products. In exchange, they were required to debauch English manufactured goods, or use the English merchants as intermediaries (Henretta & Brody 69). This practice was prescribed by the staple fiber Act of 1663, according to which colonial planters bought most of the needed manufactured goods fro m England (Nettels 109). England prohibited trade with other European countries, as it could not impose favorable name of trade (Nettels 105). English political sympathies designed laws that would take place colonies dependent upon English economy Slaves must be bought from English slave traders. The area must depend upon English sources for capital and credit, and the planters could not avail themselves of legal devices in order to ease their burdens of debt (Nettels 109). Industrial increase overwhelmingly took place in England. English policies were to encourage industrial development by any delegacy possible, such as tariffs, bounties and other forms of state aid (Nettels 113). Unlike the English manufacturers, colonial manufacturers received no such subsidies (Nettels 113). English government ensured the policy was followed by forbidding colonial governments to assist colonies with any process whatsoever in the field of manufacturing (Nettels 113). The British aristocracy encouraged conquest of new colonies, and imposed itself as a naval power (Nettels 106). Mercantilists viewed it a governments duty to guard favorable terms of trade and to store an adequate amount of gold and silver (Nettels 106). Therefore, according to the Navigation Act of 1661, the mercantilist government prohibited its citizens all trade with foreign merchants and vessels (Nettels 109). Its military ensured the law was obeyed and they even imposed it on the Dutch and the French. However, the mercantilist government did not create activities in the colonies. According to Nettels, economic activities sprang up from colonists, who decided which economic bodily process was necessary for their survival in new lands (108). As a result, the government only controlled a sealed economic activity once it had proven itself to be profitable. The British government retarded the economic harvest-time of plantations. The mercantilist system in England did not aim to promote economic devel opment in its colonies. Mercantilism aimed to verbalise wealth from