Trans-Atlantic TRADE [APUSH Unit 2 Topic 4] 2.4
Heimler's History・6 minutes read
The transatlantic trade in the 17th and 18th centuries followed a triangular route exchanging rum, enslaved laborers, and sugarcane to maintain a favorable balance of trade through mercantilism. This trade system led to the accumulation of wealth for elites, transformed colonial societies, and shifted societal status from family pedigree to financial success and refined lifestyle.
Insights
- The transatlantic trade in the late 17th and early 18th centuries operated on a triangular route involving rum, enslaved laborers, and sugarcane, illustrating a complex and exploitative economic system that interconnected various regions for profit.
- Mercantilism during this period emphasized exporting more than importing to amass gold and silver, leading to the establishment of colonies for resource extraction and market creation, showcasing how economic policies drove imperial expansion and shaped colonial societies' structure and dynamics.
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Recent questions
What was the triangular trade route?
The triangular trade route involved the transportation of rum from New England to West Africa, exchanging it for enslaved laborers, then sailing to the British West Indies for sugarcane, and finally returning to New England to trade the sugarcane for rum, creating a continuous cycle.
What economic principles drove the transatlantic trade?
The transatlantic trade was driven by mercantilism, which aimed to maintain a favorable balance of trade by exporting more than importing. Mercantilist states sought to accumulate gold and silver, viewing wealth as fixed and measured in these precious metals.
How did mercantilism impact colonial societies?
Mercantilism led to the establishment of colonies, providing access to raw materials and creating markets for manufactured goods. The British government enforced laws like the Navigation Acts to ensure trade with English colonies and maximize gold and silver inflow, significantly impacting colonial societies.
Who benefited from the transatlantic trade?
The transatlantic trade generated wealth for elites like merchants and plantation owners, transforming seaports into urban centers and sparking a consumer revolution. This revolution shifted societal status from family pedigree to financial success and refined lifestyle, reshaping the social fabric of North America.
What was the goal of the triangular trade route?
The goal of the triangular trade route was to facilitate the exchange of goods and labor, with merchant ships transporting rum, enslaved laborers, and sugarcane between New England, West Africa, and the British West Indies in a continuous cycle.
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Summary
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"Transatlantic Trade: Mercantilism, Colonies, and Impact"
- The late 17th and early 18th centuries saw the development of a global trade network, particularly the transatlantic trade, which involved a triangular trade route. Merchant ships would transport rum from New England to West Africa, trade it for enslaved laborers, then sail to the British West Indies for sugarcane, and finally return to New England to trade the sugarcane for rum, restarting the cycle.
- The transatlantic trade was driven by the economic principles of mercantilism, which aimed to maintain a favorable balance of trade by exporting more than importing. Mercantilist states sought to accumulate as much gold and silver as possible, viewing wealth as fixed and measured in these precious metals.
- Mercantilism also led to the establishment of colonies, providing access to raw materials and creating markets for manufactured goods. The British government enforced laws like the Navigation Acts to ensure trade with English colonies and maximize gold and silver inflow.
- The transatlantic trade significantly impacted colonial societies, generating wealth for elites like merchants and plantation owners, transforming seaports into urban centers, and sparking a consumer revolution. This revolution shifted societal status from family pedigree to financial success and refined lifestyle, reshaping the social fabric of North America.
