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Difficulty: MediumTransatlantic Trade and Mercantilism

Extract from a letter written by a Rhode Island merchant, 1742:

"Our vessels have recently returned from the French islands with a cargo of sugar and molasses, which we secured at a far more favorable rate than could be obtained in the British plantations. Although the customs collector here threatens to seize our next shipment under the late Act of Parliament, the local authorities show little inclination to assist him. If we are restricted solely to the English markets, our distilling trade will be ruined, and we shall lack the means to pay for the manufactured goods we receive from London."

Which of the following historical developments is best illustrated by the passage?

  1. The widespread colonial evasion of British imperial trade regulations through smugglingAnswer
  2. B
    The efforts of the British Crown to foster economic self-sufficiency and industrial independence within the American colonies
  3. C
    The growing economic alignment between New England and the Southern colonies based on shared agricultural plantation economies
  4. D
    The complete replacement of chattel slavery by indentured servitude in New England's maritime trade

Answer

The widespread colonial evasion of British imperial trade regulations through smuggling
The correct answer identifies that the passage illustrates the colonial evasion of British mercantilist policies. Under the Molasses Act of 1733, Britain attempted to tax French molasses to force colonists to buy from British West Indian planters. However, colonial merchants frequently smuggled French molasses, and local colonial officials often turned a blind eye, reflecting the era's lack of strict imperial enforcement (salutary neglect).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the source text to identify the trade practices described and the reaction of local authorities.
The merchant is purchasing molasses from French Caribbean islands to avoid higher British prices, and local colonial officials are refusing to help the customs collector enforce the British laws.
This establishes that the core historical phenomenon is the circumvention of British imperial trade laws by colonial merchants and the complicity of local colonial officials.
2
Connect these practices to the broader transatlantic trade framework of the British Empire between 1607 and 1754.
British trade policy was governed by mercantilism and the Navigation Acts, which sought to restrict colonial trade to British markets, while the colonists engaged in smuggling to maintain profitable trade routes.
This links the specific actions in the passage to the overarching imperial economic policies and colonial responses.
3
Identify the correct option that characterizes this colonial response to mercantilism.
The widespread colonial evasion of British imperial trade regulations through smuggling is the correct historical development illustrated by the source.
This directly matches the merchant's actions of purchasing prohibited French goods and smuggling them with the help of uncooperative local authorities.

Key Concept

Colonial evasion of mercantilist trade restrictions (smuggling) and the limits of British imperial enforcement.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Transatlantic Trade and Mercantilism

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