Atlantic Basin Imperialism

Economic interactions within the Atlantic Basin changed from the trade of primarily raw agricultural goods to manufactured goods as a result of industrialization. Mercantilism was an important part of Europe’s economic interactions during the Early Modern era. Mercantilism is the action of gaining a favorable balance of trade (allowing the mother country to become self-sufficient), and in order to do so, Europe colonized the Americas to gain resources, land, and another source of income. Britain and France were able to colonize the eastern coast of North America, while Spain and Portugal were able to colonize much of the Caribbean and Latin America. Colonization gave Europe full control over the colonies’ political, economic, and social interactions. As ideas of enlightenment

During this time, population greatly increased around the world due to the improvements in technology, medicine, as well as the spread of crops after the Columbian Exchange. Population increase and urbanization led to the Industrial Revolution in Britain. Britain was the perfect place for the birth of the Industrial Revolution for it had raw materials (iron, coal), a stable government, and was close to water. In a matter of years, the Industrial Revolution had spread around the world to places such as Germany, Russia, Japan, and the United States, creating trade focused on manufacturing goods such as cotton textiles, and lead to the inventions of the railroad, steam engine, telegraph, and steamboat. Trade among the Atlantic Basin was no longer focused on cash crops and agricultural products, but shifted to new technologies and manufactured products created because of the Industrial Revolution, with Latin America as an exception, for it did not become