HISTÓRIA ILUSTRADA (MERCANTILISMO).

Summary

In this video, the host discusses mercantilism, a set of economic practices employed by European states between the 15th and 18th centuries, aimed at accumulating wealth. Key elements include state intervention in the economy, maintaining a favorable balance of trade, protective tariffs on foreign goods, overseas exploration for resources, colonial expansion, and monopolistic trade practices. The video highlights how nations like Portugal utilized these strategies, particularly through their colonies such as Brazil, to bolster their economies. The host concludes with a call to engage with the channel through likes, shares, and subscriptions.

Takeaways

• 😀 Mercantilism is an economic system practiced by nation-states between the 15th and 18th centuries aimed at accumulating wealth through capital.
• 😀 State intervention is a key feature of mercantilism, with the government controlling economic activities.
• 😀 A favorable trade balance is essential in mercantilism, where countries aim to export more than they import to accumulate wealth.
• 😀 Protectionist policies, such as taxing foreign goods, were used to encourage national manufacturing over imports.
• 😀 European maritime expansion (the Age of Exploration) was driven by the search for new resources, especially precious metals and spices.
• 😀 The colonial pact, known as the colonial system, saw countries dominate regions as metropoles, with colonies serving economic interests.
• 😀 Monopolies in trade were common under mercantilism, where colonies would only supply their products to their ruling metropole.
• 😀 Portugal's relationship with Brazil exemplifies the colonial monopoly system where resources extracted from the colony served the needs of the metropole.
• 😀 Mercantilism led to intense competition among European nations to control colonies and expand trade networks.
• 😀 The primary goal of mercantilism was to increase national wealth through strategic economic and territorial control.

Q & A

What is mercantilism?

Mercantilism is a set of economic practices adopted by nation-states between the 15th and 18th centuries with the goal of accumulating wealth, primarily through the accumulation of capital.

What does 'state intervention' mean in the context of mercantilism?

State intervention refers to the active role the government plays in managing and regulating economic activities to ensure the success of mercantilist policies, including trade and production.

What is a 'favorable trade balance'?

A favorable trade balance is when a country exports more goods than it imports, which allows it to accumulate wealth and capital.

What is protectionism in the context of mercantilism?

Protectionism refers to the practice of taxing foreign goods to protect and promote domestic manufacturing industries, ensuring that national products are prioritized in the market.

How did the Age of Exploration relate to mercantilism?

The Age of Exploration, or the Great Voyages, was a key part of mercantilism, as European powers sought new territories for resources, including precious metals and spices, to fuel their economies and wealth accumulation.

What is the 'colonial pact' in the context of mercantilism?

The colonial pact refers to the economic relationship between a colonial power (metropole) and its colonies, where colonies provide raw materials to the mother country, which then uses them for economic gain.

How does a colonial power benefit from mercantilism?

A colonial power benefits by monopolizing trade with its colonies, extracting resources, and controlling the flow of goods to ensure economic dominance and wealth accumulation.

What role did Portugal and Brazil play in the mercantilist system?

Portugal's mercantilist system with Brazil exemplifies the colonial pact, where Brazil provided valuable resources like sugar and gold to Portugal, which controlled the trade and distribution of these goods.

Why is 'monopoly' an important feature of mercantilism?

Monopoly is important in mercantilism because it allows the colonial power to control all trade and extraction of resources in its colonies, ensuring that the wealth generated flows back to the metropole.

What were some key outcomes of the mercantilist policies on global trade?

Mercantilist policies led to the establishment of global trade routes, the rise of colonial empires, and the dominance of European powers in world trade, as well as the exploitation of colonies for resources.