Worlds Entangled 1600 1750 Increasing Economic Linkages and Social and Political Effects Transoceanic trade affected

d mercantile groups and the nations who supported them. Economic ties brought new places and products into world markets: fur from French North America, sugar from the Caribbean, tobacco from the British mainland American colonies, and coffee from Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Products became important in the 17th 18th century, interruptions in availability destabilized regional economic and political systems. Prices of commodities could soar or drop, bringing prosperity to some regions and power for some states. Rising new states were England and France. Ottomans lost centralized control in provinces. The Safavid Empire (East of the Ottomans) 1722 1773. The Ming dynasty was replaced by the Qing. India had internal conflict between princes and merchants which led to peasant uprisings and instability. Extracting Wealth Mercantilism There was Atlantic extraction and shipment of gold and silver, this was mined by Indian and African workers and delivered to merchants and monarchs. They mostly came from the Andes Mountains and Mesoamerica. However, the largest producer of gold was Brazil. The Europeans wanted to match Spain and Portugals success that they launched their own expeditions. They failed to find the minerals they wanted but they gained wealth from cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, indigo, and rice. These would be produced and transported easily. Sugarcane transformed the European diet, it came originally from Polynesia. Europe became the great consumers of sugar. 1670 1790, Europe imported 12,000,000 tons of it. Because sugar wealth, there was tooth decay which became a leading cause of death for Europeans. Colonies were supposed to provide wealth from mother countries. In 1763 the term mercantilism was coined, it meant the worlds wealth was fixed and one countrys wealth came at the expense of others. It was assumed that overseas possessions existed only to enrich European motherlands and colonies could ship more value to Europe than they got in return. Colonies were supposed to be closed to competitors. The mother countrys monopoly of trade of colonies led to wealth. Europeans waged war against each other. Mercantilism depended on alliances between the state and merchants. Mercantilists believed economics and politics were interdependent. Chartered companies like the Virginia Company or Dutch East India Company are examples of alliances. New Colonies in the Americas Rulers in England, France, and Holland gave monopoly over trade and settlement in American colonies to merchants. By exploiting other resources, their claims in the Americas were profitable colonies. Hollands Trading Colonies