When did mercantilism operate?

When did mercantilism operate?

• A. 16th to 18th centuries
• B. 19th to 21st centuries
• C. 12th to 14th centuries
• D. 20th century

Answer: (A)

Mercantilism is an economic system tied to early modern states that sought to build national wealth and power through state-controlled trade, accumulation of precious metals, and colonial expansion. This approach operated mainly from the 16th through the 18th centuries, aligning with the rise of centralized monarchies, tariffs, monopolies, and overseas empires. By the late 18th century, liberal economic ideas and the onset of the Industrial Revolution began shifting policy away from mercantilist practices. The other timeframes don’t fit because the medieval era lacked the organized, state-driven trade focus, while later centuries moved toward different economic theories and free-trade norms.

Mercantilism is an economic system tied to early modern states that sought to build national wealth and power through state-controlled trade, accumulation of precious metals, and colonial expansion. This approach operated mainly from the 16th through the 18th centuries, aligning with the rise of centralized monarchies, tariffs, monopolies, and overseas empires. By the late 18th century, liberal economic ideas and the onset of the Industrial Revolution began shifting policy away from mercantilist practices. The other timeframes don’t fit because the medieval era lacked the organized, state-driven trade focus, while later centuries moved toward different economic theories and free-trade norms.