Answer to Question #235060 in History for Kry

Question

Spain and Portugal were not able to keep pace whit the colonizing and subsequent growth and power of the British and French. as result, the Spanish where forced to impose strict mercantilist rule to keep out nations from "there" colonies. What specifically would Spain have done to its colonies as it applies to mercantilist policy? Be specific regarding each aspect of mercantilism

Answer 1

           Spain profited early on from mercantilism since it brought a significant quantity of valuable metals into its treasury through the new world. Spain's restriction of colonial commerce was one of the factors that contributed to the Dutch seceding from the Spanish Empire. Countries such as Great Britain, France, and Spain that relied on the mercantile system achieved a partial success. These countries were able to get raw resources at a cheaper cost from their colonies than they would have had to purchase them from other countries. Although it may seem trivial at first glance, this shift in historical perspective was critical. It enabled us to see time as a fluid process devoid of discontinuities and interruptions between epochs, each with its own personality distinct from determinist pigeonholing or irreparable lacunae.

           The centuries of the Modern Era have been designated as the Renaissance, Baroque, and Enlightenment eras. Another well-known method is to divide time according to national predominance: the sixteenth century would be Spanish, the seventeenth century would be French, and the eighteenth century would be English. Of course, Spain's own eighteenth-century was given a revolutionary moniker. These theories were motivated by the notion that a single, overpowering cause could account for why things happened the way they did, but such an account holds true only for the most significant events and situations. Throughout this period, imperial European empires perpetrated many obvious breaches and abuses of human rights on their colonies in Africa, Asia, and the Americas; however, not all of them were explicitly justified by mercantilism. However, mercantilism resulted in the implementation of massive trade restrictions, stifling the development and independence of colonial commerce.