mercantilism

U.S. HistoryMs. GonzalezSeptember 22, 2015

Aim: What role did geography play in the system of Mercantilism?Do Now: Based on the

political cartoon, what can you infer is the definition of Mercantilism?

How did geography affect early settlement and colonial development?

Why was tobacco a crop of the southern colonies such as Virginia?

Which image illustrates settlers arriving in Jamestown and which one illustrates settlers arriving in Plymouth?

How do you know?

#1

#2

HW Complete your notes based

on the PPT/video on our class site.

Due Friday 09/25

•Mercantilism: European economic system that supported the establishment of colonies that would enrich the “Mother” country or the country in control of the colonies.1. Where are

they?

2. Who is the “Mother country”?

3. What is role of the colonies? What is their job?

Mercantilism: the goal is to strengthen and enrich the country so it can compete with other empires.

• A key to power is wealth and self-sufficiency: a country that is able to produce all it needs for its citizens and is able to gain wealth by selling goods to other nations.• Countries want to export more than import.

Imports

$$$

Exports

$$$

The role of the Colonies: provide raw materials (so that the mother country does not have to import from other nations)

• Example: the New England and Middle colonies helped Britain maintain naval supremacy by providing wood for ships, sailors, trade

1.How did geography influence the development of mercantilism?

What do the colonies provide to Great Britain?

Great Britain passed laws to enforce Mercantilism:

• Required all exports from the colonies to go to Great Britain so that British merchants would then sell or trade the goods around the world.

• Colonies were discouraged from buying goods from other countries (are only allowed to buy from Britain)

Navigation Acts All imports or exports had to be carried on GB ships.

1.If you were a merchant (businessman) in the colonies, would this law help you make profits?

So… Great Britain needs raw materials from the colonies—like wood and cotton.• Indentured servants who work on a contract for 2-3 years are put to work cutting trees and picking cotton, but once their contract is up in 2-3 years, they are legally allowed to leave their ‘bosses’.

What can Great Britain do to increase profits ($$$)—have more trees cut for

wood and more cotton picked?

Get free labor to increase productivity

and profits

Slaves

What was the Triangular Trade?

A system of trade between Africa, the colonies, and European countries.Why did the Slave Trade Begin?

Need for a cheaper work force—free in this case. Indentured servants were Europeans. They got sick

and were not able to work under the hot climate and harsh conditions of plantation (large farms).

Was Slavery a new thing before Europeans? No, Africans traded slaves long before Europeans

arrived. African kingdoms used slaves they captured from

different African tribes.

The Transatlantic Slave Trade or Triangular

TradeInvolved 3 steps

1.First stage: manufactured goods (cloth, tobacco, beads, guns, alcohol) from Europe were sent to Africa.

2.The Middle Passage: slaves were sent from Africa to the colonies.

3.Final stage: raw materials (cotton, sugar, tobacco leaves, molasses and rum) were sent to Europe from the colonies.

North America

Africa

Great Britain

#1

#2

#3

The Transatlantic Slave Trade or Triangular Trade

The Middle Passage

• 5 times as many Africans arrived in the Americas than Europeans. The majority were shipped to Brazil, the Caribbean, and the Spanish colonies.

1. How did Europeans obtained the slaves?2. How would you describe the experience of the Middle

Passage?3. Why do you think some of the slaves captured chose to

throw themselves out of the ship?

Closure 1. What role did geography play

in the system of Mercantilism?

2. How did mercantilism lead to the development of the Transatlantic slave trade?