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What is mercatilism?
a religious belief
What is a theory that a country should sell more goods to other countries than it buys?
mercatilism
What is the theory that states a country should sell more goods to other countries than it buys?
mercatilism
Why did Britain impose taxes on the colonies?
In order to pay the debts she had incurred in paying for the french and Indian War, AKA the Seven Years War. Leading up to during and after the French and Indian war, Britain had invested huge quantities of resources into her American colonies. Britain's national debt during this period had rocketed from £76m to £114m, all borrowed from Dutch & other oversees lenders. This is without even considering the British loss of life during this conflict, which at large involved protection of the American colonies (Colonists) so they could continue to prosper. I find it quite amusing in retrospect that the American colonies became so riled by the relatively low taxes they "Endured" compared with their English counterparts. The words "No taxation without representation" seem somewhat childish on account the American colonists were enjoying the fruits of the Empire (Tea, Tobacco, Sugar, general supplies etc....) without any taxation for considerable time. So much so that at around the 1750's America was though to be consuming 50% more than it was exporting. It would appear they were used to getting the better deal whilst the citizens at the heart of the working of the Empire were to suffer their usual high taxation on goods. The actions of the soon to be newly formed "USA" during her revolution are almost puerile, contemptuous & a disgrace. She did for many years life off the back of her mother land and never seemed concerned with representation within parliament whilst their goods were cheap, free from tax and being produced by the blood, sweat & god knows what else of Britain citizens, subjects, levies etc...... America almost appears a breakaway, selfish teenage wanting on what it believes right for it's self, regardless of the efforts of it's mother during it's birth and subsequent adolescence. All Britain received for it's determination, blood, money & hard work at the end was a knife in her back and a finger in the air. She was left financially, morally and physically wounded following the American revolution. The taxes imposed were nominal, justified and only fair on account of the financial and manpower involvement of Britain and this revolution, had it not been for the Childish and hard done by views of the Colonists should never have happened.
