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What Role Did Mercantilism Play In Colonial America

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Religion, democracy and mercantilism played major roles in the development of Colonial America. Religion affected development as it always does, checking those with extreme greed with the threat of hell and encouraging those with good intentions with the promise of heaven. Democracy played a major role in colonial America because in an age of people being fed up with the king democracy held increasing amounts of leverage in the government. While this was going on a strong sense of mercantilism fueled the budding country's economy. Religion, democracy, and mercantilism were the main factors that fueled the development of colonial America into the country we have today religion checked people with bad intentions and encouraged those with good purposes, democracy created a government run by the people for the people and mercantilism fueled the entire country. Religion in the 16th to 18th century held massive sway over the actions of people with the punishments and rewards found throughout most religions. Punishments mostly meant being eternally damned so most people attempted to act good through their entire lives. Rewards were …show more content…

Mercantilism was a system that encouraged Americans to trade among themselves instead of with outside powers by not taxing American Merchants and instead taxing merchants to import. Mercantilism aided in the development of America because America’s new economy and markets were sheltered from massive and foreign companies allowing a massive rate of growth for America's economy. The process of taxing foreign companies is known as protectionism which is directly involved with mercantilism and the strong belief in profitable trading that America possessed at the time. All three of these factors allowed America to grow at an extremely unprecedented rate in religion, politics, and

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