What is the mercantilism economic theory? Explain what mercantilists understood as wealth. What are the implications for this perception of wealth when it comes to things like trade, and the acquisition of goods for trade? From the Wilberforce, article explain the economic justifications provided by the pro-slavery lobby for the continuation of the practice. Since sugar was the commodity produced by the Caribbean plantations and it was a commodity in great demand in Europe, could we argue that Caribbean slave plantation systems were promoted and protected by the European states partially as a result of mercantilist beliefs (you need to basically connect, sugar, mercantilism, slavery…)
To avoid having you drift off-topic, I have devised a series of questions that will hopefully make sure you are on track. If you have completed the essay you can use these as a checklist.
1- What are the basic economic principles/features of Mercantilism? What did it recommend a government do? Use our lecture on mercantilism to answer this question and define mercantilism very clearly. Make sure that you highlight how mercantilist measured wealth.
You may also use the textbook (p. 458-459) but make sure you do not turn this into a discussion about the place of the colonies in the mercantilist system (that is a different issue outside of our scope.)
2- Once you have spelled out the basic economic features of mercantilism, consider the following questions: Where the sugar colonies profitable? Did they add to a nation’s wealth? You can use lecture and textbook as well as article to answer this and to find evidence and numbers.
3-If sugar is a valuable and sought-after commodity, what happens if a nation does not produce its own, but has to import it?
4-Starting with the Portuguese and Spanish what model of sugar plantations had they established that had proven to be very profitable? In the planters’ minds were there alternatives different from slavery to get the labor force that plantations needed? Why did they consider African slaves the ideal workforce for these plantations?
Make sure that your thesis statement clearly makes an argument for a connection between mercantilism, sugar and the acceptance of slavery as, at the very least, a necessity.
