Name: __________________
Date: _____________
Mercantilism
1. List the objects or people you
see in the cartoon.
2. Which words or phrases in
the cartoon appear to be the
most significant? Why do you
think so?
3. Describe the action taking
place in the cartoon.
4. Explain the message of the
cartoon.
____________ is a political and
economic system that arose in the 17th
and 18th centuries. It states that a
country’s _________ strength is directly
related to the maintenance of a positive
balance of ________. That is, in order to
remain economically and politically
strong a country must ______ more than
it imports. Such a positive balance of
trade, according to mercantilist thought,
results in a ________ of gold in the
practicing country’s _______. Therefore,
mercantilism was treated as a national
obligation—that is, a _______ was
responsible for gaining as much ______
as possible, from sources inside and
outside the country, to create a favorable
_________ condition for its __________.
Name: __________________
Date: _____________
Mercantilism
1. List the objects or people you see in the
cartoon.
Colonies, mother country (England), and the
food they are bringing – gold/silver, raw
materials, etc.
2. Which words or phrases in the cartoon
appear to be the most significant? Why do you
think so? Colony, mother country. They are
labeled and represent the message of the
cartoon.
3. Describe the action taking place in the
cartoon. The colonies are serving the mother
country. They are bringing her what she wants
and asking her to choose what she wants first.
4. Explain the message of the cartoon. This
image represents the idea that the colonies
exist to serve the mother country. The colonies
are represented here as servants, which is
analogous to the concept of mercantilism.
Mercantilism is a political and economic
system that arose in the 17th and 18th
centuries. It states that a country's
economic strength is directly related to
the maintenance of a positive balance of
trade. That is, in order to remain
economically and politically strong a
country must export more than it
imports. Such a positive balance of
trade, according to mercantilist thought,
results in a surplus of gold in the
practicing country's treasury. Therefore,
mercantilism was treated as a national
obligation—that is, a country was
responsible for gaining as much wealth
as possible, from sources inside and
outside the country, to create a favorable
economic condition for its citizens.
The theory of Mercantilism was put into practice
in the English Colonies through the Navigation
Acts
The Navigation Acts were a series of laws
passed by the British Parliament that imposed
restrictions on colonial trade. British economic
policy was based on mercantilism, which aimed
to use the American colonies to bolster British
state power and finances.