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Difficulty: EasyMaritime Empires Maintained and Developed

"The country of Banda is the only one in the world that produces nutmeg and mace. Therefore, we must secure this monopoly by building fortresses and preventing any other nation, especially the English, from trading with the inhabitants."
—Instruction from the directors of the Dutch East India Company to its officers in Asia, 1612

The instructions in the passage best illustrate which of the following goals of early modern maritime empires?

  1. A
    The adoption of free-market policies to encourage unrestricted global competition
  2. B
    The facilitation of the Columbian Exchange of crops between Europe and the Americas
  3. The establishment of commercial monopolies to control profitable trade networksAnswer
  4. D
    The transition to factory-based industrial manufacturing to produce consumer goods

Answer

The establishment of commercial monopolies to control profitable trade networks
The correct answer is correct because the instructions explicitly state the company's goal to secure a monopoly on nutmeg and mace, which was a standard mercantilist strategy used by maritime empires to control trade networks and exclude competitors.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus passage.
The passage shows the Dutch East India Company's intent to secure a monopoly over nutmeg and mace in the Banda Islands by constructing fortifications and excluding rival European powers like the English.
To identify the core motive behind the stated actions of the maritime empire.
2
Relate the company's actions to broader early modern imperial economic strategies.
Maritime empires in the period 1450–1750 relied heavily on mercantilist policies, which used state-chartered joint-stock companies to establish monopolies and exclude foreign competitors.
To connect the specific example of the Dutch in the Banda Islands to the general historical developments of Unit 4.

Key Concept

Maritime empires maintained and developed their power through mercantilist policies, including the use of joint-stock companies to secure monopolies over valuable trade goods.
Estimated Time:45s
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Maritime Empires Maintained and Developed

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