Malcolm Smith

APUSH Per. 3
09/11/15
Mercantilism
Mercantilism
Mercantilism, put in place around the 1500's by major European powers, was
a theory that supported the idea that a nation's exports should greatly outweigh
their imports. One of the main reasons for this way of thinking was the continuous
warfare, which constantly needed monetary support to keep the armies and
navies running. The basic workings of mercantilism were very simple, the colonies
would provide raw materials, while the euoprean countries would send out
finished goods to be exported. It was a common belief that a country's economy
could only flourish at the expense of another's. This way of thinking led to trade
restrictions and outrageous taxes on foreign goods, which eventually would cause
the colonists to band together against the unfairness.

Sources
britannica.com/topic/mercantilism
ushistory.org/declaration/lessonplan/mercantilism.asp
u-s-history.com/pages/h622.html