Report on Economic Evolution in Colonial America: Unveiling Regional Disparities and Mercantilist Forces

Introduction

Colonial America was made up of New England, Middle, and Southern colonies. The British carried out various activities to generate revenue for the mother country. These activities allowed the colonies to develop differently. In seeking labor, the British introduced indentured servitude, which was later replaced by slavery. Mercantilism was also used to keep the economy afloat. Colonial America introduced policies that disrespected human dignity to drive its economy.

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Why did the Three Colonial Regions (New England, Middle, and South) develop differently?

Colonial America encompassed three colonial regions: New England, Middle, and Southern colonies. Each colony developed differently to form a different society. The main factor that led to different development was human resources. The Southern colonies mainly practiced agriculture. The Middle Colonies included a large workforce of farmers, fishers, and traders. New England was made up of skilled artisans. Activities in New England included boat building and development of mills, and factories, which encouraged the production of finished products. In the Middle Colonies, favorable climates and extensive lands encouraged the growth of grains and cattle keeping, and later, barter trading emerged. Lands in the Southern colonies were fertile and encouraged new crash crops such as rice and tobacco. With slavery on the rise, a group of elite communities emerged (Robinson, 2013).

Why did the British use Indentured Servitude in the Early Years of the Colonies?

Indentured servitude in Colonial America refers to the formal labor system used before the introduction of slavery. The British used this system due to the increased demand for cheap labor. The early settlers realized they had too much land, which they couldn't attend to alone. Thus, the Virginia Company invented indentured servitude to entice employees from all over the world. Fortunately for the company, Europe's economy has weakened, and many people, both skilled and unskilled, did not have employment (Grubb, 2008). This was an excellent opportunity for them, and many immigrants came to America seeking to be employed. Soon, the system was an essential part of the British economy.

Why did Slavery in the Early English Colonies Replace Indentured Servitude?

The life of a servitude servant was not easy due to the frequent punishment. However, the workers who managed to survive the harsh work environments were given a freedom package. The package comprised 25 acres of land, new attires, cows, and food to last them a few months. As the demand for labor increased, so did the value of the employees. Landowners began to feel that the servants were demanding more than they could offer. These servants were offered freedom rights, and they could even join the elite society. The colonial elite realized that the colony was disadvantaged in freeing these servants. Thus, the landowners began to prefer African slaves for servitude servants (Grubb, 2008). Most adopted slavery instead, and soon the labor market shifted from indentured servants to slavery.

Why was Mercantilism Not Enforced, and what caused it to Become Enforced Eventually?

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Mercantilism was the implemented Economic policy. This policy was meant to increase the nation's wealth. The policy was in support of various acts that encouraged disrespect for human dignity. These included high trade tariffs, slavery, and an unfair trading system; hence, the British were reluctant to enforce it. The main reason Mercantilism was implemented was to help the British Empire stabilize and discourage importing goods. It was only through Mercantilism that they could keep their economy healthy and afloat. The system allowed the British to implement various restrictions on trade. They taxed goods heavily and limited the people involved in trading. Through taxation, the colonies managed to control imports and grow their economies (Alchin, 2017).

Conclusion

Conclusively, the economic activities carried out in the three colonial regions determined how they developed. For instance, due to slavery and the emergence of cash crops, the South became the wealthiest colony. The landowners began to appreciate slavery instead of Indentured servitude because the latter provided free labor. Colonial America exploited vulnerable Africans to generate revenue for Great Britain.

References

Alchin, L. (2017, February) Mercantilism. https://www.landofthebrave.info/mercantilism.htm#:~:text=The%20British%20belief%20in%20Mercantilism,Iron%20Act%20(1750)

Grubb, F. (2008). Indentured Servitude. 10.1057/978-1-349-95121-5_2600-1.

Robinson, H. (2013). Differences between colonial regions, http://chnm.gmu.edu/tah-loudoun/blog/lessons/differences-among-colonial-regions/