What were mercantilism and the triangle trade?

Answer 1

Mercantilism was an economic theory prevalent from the 16th to the 18th centuries, emphasizing the role of government in increasing national wealth through a favorable balance of trade, primarily by accumulating precious metals and establishing colonies. The Triangle Trade was a transatlantic trading system that connected Europe, Africa, and the Americas, where goods like sugar, tobacco, and cotton were shipped from the Americas to Europe, European manufactured goods were sent to Africa, and enslaved Africans were transported to the Americas. This system played a crucial role in the economic foundations of colonial powers while perpetuating the slave trade.