Editing Mercantilism (section)

===United Kingdom ===
{{Main|Economic history of the United Kingdom#The age of mercantilism}}
In England, mercantilism reached its peak during the [[Long Parliament]] government (1640–60). Mercantilist policies were also embraced throughout much of the [[Tudor period|Tudor]] and [[House of Stuart|Stuart]] periods, with [[Robert Walpole]] being another major proponent. In Britain, government control over the domestic economy was far less extensive than on the [[Continental Europe|Continent]], limited by [[common law]] and the steadily increasing power of Parliament.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hansen|2001|p=65}}.</ref> Government-controlled monopolies were common, especially before the [[English Civil War]], but were often controversial.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hill|1980|p=32}}.</ref>

[[File:De slag bij Terheide - The Battle of Schevening - August 10 1653 (Willem van de Velde I, 1657).jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|left|The [[Anglo-Dutch Wars]] were fought between the English and the Dutch for control over the seas and trade routes.]]

With respect to its colonies,  British mercantilism meant that the government and the merchants became partners with the goal of increasing political power and private wealth, to the exclusion of other European powers. The government protected its merchants—and kept foreign ones out—through trade barriers, regulations, and subsidies to domestic industries in order to maximize exports from and minimize imports to the realm. The government had to fight smuggling, which became a favourite American technique in the 18th century to circumvent the restrictions on trading with the French, Spanish, or Dutch. The goal of mercantilism was to run trade surpluses to benefit the government. The government took its share through duties and taxes, with the remainder going to merchants in Britain. The government spent much of its revenue on the [[Royal Navy]], which both protected the colonies of Britain but was vital in capturing the colonies of other European powers.<ref>{{Harvnb|Nester|2000|p=54}}.</ref><ref name=":1">Max Savelle, [https://books.google.com/books?id=hIgl_HNozQsC&pg=PA204 ''Seeds of Liberty: The Genesis of the American Mind'' (1948) pp. 204ff.]</ref>

British mercantilist writers were themselves divided on whether domestic controls were necessary. British mercantilism thus mainly took the form of efforts to control trade. A wide array of regulations were put in place to encourage exports and discourage imports. Tariffs were placed on imports and bounties given for exports, and the export of some raw materials was banned completely. The [[Trade and Navigation Acts|Navigation Acts]] removed foreign merchants from being involved England's domestic trade. British policies in their [[British America|American colonies]] led to friction with the inhabitants of the [[Thirteen Colonies]], and mercantilist policies (such as forbidding trade with other European powers and enforcing bans on smuggling) were a major irritant leading to the [[American Revolution]].<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{cite book|author1=Frieden, Jeffry A.|author2= Lake, David A.|title=International Political Economy: Perspectives on Global Power and Wealth|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l-eAAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA132|date= 2014|edition=4th|publisher=Routledge|pages=128ff|isbn=978-1-134-59595-2}}</ref>

Mercantilism taught that trade was a zero-sum game, with one country's gain equivalent to a loss sustained by the trading partner. Some have argued that mercantilist policies had a positive impact on Britain, helping to transform the nation into the world's dominant trading power and a [[Pax Britannica|global hegemon]].<ref name=":2" /> One domestic policy that had a lasting impact was the conversion of "wastelands" to agricultural use. Mercantilists believed that to maximize a nation's power, all land and resources had to be used to their [[highest and best use]], and this era thus saw projects like the draining of [[The Fens]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Wilson|1963|p=15}}.</ref>