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  • Essay / Mercantilism as a tool for Europeans to control their goods

    The Western Hemisphere, rich in valuable resources, was desired by all colonizing nations. It was an opportunity for nations to develop their economies on untouched lands. One such nation was Great Britain, an extremely wealthy, strong, and economically organized European nation, which took advantage of this opportunity and established its first colony in 1607: the Jamestown Colony in Virginia. William Cronon, in his book Changes in the Land, describes how Europeans were exposed to the new cultures of indigenous groups whose practices were inconvenient for Europeans. In 1732, there were a total of 13 British American colonies, including New England. In the New England colonies, trading, fishing, and manufacturing were common tasks performed by settlers. To reestablish their colonies, Europeans decided to rebuild the economic systems of their colonies by introducing capitalism. Through capitalism, European settlers were able to control the profits and industry of the colonies. Although the European concept of capitalism weakened interactions between Indians and Europeans, it brought organization and wealth to the colonies through trade in natural resources and the introduction of new farming and hunting techniques. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay As English colonizers began to settle colonial New England, they aimed to filter and establish certain elements of the territory that could then be used. for commerce. For example, they sought to discover trade products that were rare in Europe but abundant in America. These natural products such as fur, fish, whales, and trees “could be shipped to Europe and sold at a profit to provide a stable income for the colonial colonies.” Thanks to the discovery of new resources, Europeans were able to strengthen trade between the New World and Europe. Although fish, fur, sassafras, oil, and tobacco were among the easily obtainable commodities, lumber and corn required significant environmental modifications in the New England colonies. Before the establishment of European colonies, native peoples made seasonal migrations which Europeans referred to as "underutilized behavior" because the Indians would not be able to use their land or their bountiful harvests. In other words, the English colonists believed that because of their farming methods, the Indians would squander the resources available to them. With the introduction of corn, Europeans did not have to make seasonal migrations or intensive planting because corn did not require much attention. Additionally, settlers “not only cut down trees to clear fields for agriculture, but also for logging.” Because wood and lumber were abundant in colonial New England, settlers used them primarily for housing and shipbuilding. One of the main uses of wood was to make fences, as these "demarcated not only the map of a colony's property rights, but also its economic activities and ecological relationships." With the extent of deforestation, the ground became colder in winter and warmer in summer, and flooding occurred more often. Additionally, local temperatures were uneven and some larger rivers were constructed with.