Mercantilism was based on the belief that there was an infinite amount of wealth to be made in the world. The empire based all of its trade policies on the concept of mercantilism. Wealth was interpreted as hard money such as specie, gold, and silver. Any wealth that Britain had acquired would become known at the expense of their enemies. Thus, it was very crucial for the empire to always keep their exports over their imports, which in turn brought wealth into the empire. Colonies were a prominent mercantilistic advantage for the British. They could get raw materials from inside the empire, rather than having to import them from an opponent. The British believed the colonies solely existed in order to serve the extensive economic needs of the