Mercantilism
Mercantilism
The belief that a country’s
economic strength
depended upon getting
more gold by exporting
more than importing
Goal of
Mercantilism...
…
GOLD!
Colonies
n
n
Supplied parent country with
raw materials (lumber, cotton,
sugar, precious metals…)
Served as a market in which
the parent country sold
finished products (furniture,
clothing, tools…)
Restrictions
n
Colonies could not trade
with other countries
n
Colonies could not make
finished products
Trade and manufacturing
were prohibited so that
the colonies were
dependent upon the
parent country for any
finished products
Precious Metals
Natives of Latin
America were forced
to mine silver and
gold
Plantations
n
Created for large-scale
production of cash crops
n
Natives of the area and
slaves from Africa were
used as labor
Saving an Investment
n
Colonies were
protected by
the parent
country from
others who
would invade
the colony
Competition
n
n
1500s - European
countries competed for
colonies in the New World
Spain and Portugal
competed for land in Latin
America
Missionaries
n
Once colonies were
established, missionaries
tried to convert Native
Americans to
Catholicism
n
Missionaries established
missions in areas only
populated by Native
Americans (no colonists)