Silver, Sugar and the First World Economy · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

When kings thought trade was war

History · World History · ages 16-18
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which tools did mercantilist kings use?

    • Free ports and open borders
    • Tariffs, monopolies, and colony trade laws
    • Bans on all ships

  2. What did mercantilist policy try to achieve?

    • Keep gold and silver piled in the homeland
    • Give colonies free trade with all
    • Abolish all taxes on trade

  3. Colonies under mercantilism could freely trade with any country.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Sugar reaches a European table. Whose cuts came first?

    • Only the family drinking tea
    • Planters, shippers, refiners, and the taxing state
    • No workers or traders

  5. Silver moves from an American mine to Asia. Who takes profit along the way?

    • No one at any stage
    • Only the miners who dug it
    • Mine owners, merchants, shippers, and kings

  6. Britain orders colonial sugar through London on English ships. What policy is this?

    • A gift of free trade
    • A ban on growing sugar
    • Mercantilist control of colonial trade

  7. A king in 1700 and a minister today disagree about imports. What differs in their goals?

    • Both want exactly the same bullion pile
    • Neither cares about trade at all
    • The king hoards bullion; today trade seeks wider mutual gain

  8. A company with a charter raises troops, taxes peasants, and signs treaties. How is this possible?

    • Companies always rule by nature
    • The charter lent state powers to private profit
    • Treaties need no authority
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

When kings thought trade was war W1-mt_uFhCt_GXgN-s1

  1. Tariffs, monopolies, and colony trade laws · These tools blocked imports and channelled colonial trade home.
  2. Keep gold and silver piled in the homeland · The goal was a bullion surplus through exports over imports.
  3. False · Laws forced colonies to trade only with the mother country.
  4. Planters, shippers, refiners, and the taxing state · Field, ship, refinery, and treasury each took profit.
  5. Mine owners, merchants, shippers, and kings · Each stop from mine to market skimmed its share.
  6. Mercantilist control of colonial trade · Navigation-style rules enriched home shippers and the crown.
  7. The king hoards bullion; today trade seeks wider mutual gain · Mercantilism saw trade as a contest for metal; modern answers differ.
  8. The charter lent state powers to private profit · Trade needing guns got soldiers, forts, and treaty rights.
Worksheet · LightMySky