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Difficulty: MediumTransatlantic Trade and Mercantilism

“The Bostonians... buy of the French, Spanish, and Dutch, and carry what they please to them; they trade with all parts of Europe... There is no government in the world where the laws of England are so little observed, or where the English crown has so little power... They look upon themselves as a free state, and do not think themselves bound by the laws of England.”

��� Edward Randolph, report to the Committee for Trade and Plantations, 1676

Which of the following best explains the primary purpose of the British trade regulations referenced in the excerpt?

  1. A
    To encourage open, free-market competition between British merchants and other European empires
  2. B
    To integrate the economies of New England and the Southern colonies around a single tobacco-based export system
  3. To enforce a mercantilist system that restricted colonial trade to benefit the wealth and power of the home countryAnswer
  4. D
    To mandate the transition from indentured labor to chattel slavery in New England shipping industries

Answer

To enforce a mercantilist system that restricted colonial trade to benefit the wealth and power of the home country
The correct answer is correct because England's mercantilist policies, such as the Navigation Acts, were designed to secure a monopoly on colonial trade, ensuring that raw materials were sent to England and manufactured goods were purchased from England. The colonial circumvention of these rules through smuggling with the French, Spanish, and Dutch directly challenged the goal of keeping the wealth within the British Empire.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context and origin of the historical source.
The source is a 1676 report by Edward Randolph, a royal official, complaining about Boston merchants ignoring English laws and trading freely with foreign European powers.
Understanding who wrote the document and the time period helps identify the imperial policy under discussion.
2
Identify the core imperial economic policy in place between 1607 and 1754.
During this period, England implemented mercantilist policies, primarily through the Navigation Acts, to control colonial trade, establish a favorable balance of trade, and enrich the mother country.
This links the 'laws of England' mentioned in the text to the broader policy of mercantilism.
3
Evaluate the options to find which matches the primary purpose of these policies.
The option stating the purpose was to enforce a mercantilist system that restricted colonial trade to benefit the wealth and power of the home country matches the definition of mercantilism.
This connects the correct conceptual definition of mercantilism to the trade laws referenced by the author.

Key Concept

Mercantilism and the Navigation Acts
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Topics

Transatlantic Trade and Mercantilism

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