17th Century Dbq

The 16th Century brought an array of changes to the various economies around the world. The Age of Exploration accompanied with the Scientific Revolution created trade between Spain and the rest of the world. However, this would change with the entry of the 17th Century. During the mid 17th century, the Dutch Republic enjoyed a flourishing economy, dominance in the shipbuilding industry, and European recognition as a dominant nation. The English competed with the Dutch for the top of the economic hierarchy at the time. During the late 17th and early 18th century, the Dutch Republic encountered a stumbling decline which led to their loss in the monopoly in Baltic and Atlantic trade, and the rise of England and France as the new monopolies of
The second was a result of the first which were the wars fought. First, one of the causes of the shifts in economic balance of power was the foundation of new economic systems, namely mercantilism. To start, absolute monarchs controlled the economy during the 17th C. For example, James I granted a charter to the Virginia Company to build a colony in the Americas (Doc. 1). This exemplifies the implementation of mercantilism. Jean-Baptiste Colbert’s Mercantilism called for the increase in exclusive trade with the mother country. The mother country in this case would be England with Virginia as its colony. Products such as raw materials or finished goods produced in the colonies would go to England with high tariffs on them, but were not allowed to go to the Dutch Republic or any other enemies. The French also generally adhered to mercantilist theory in establishing their colonies, using them mainly for the economic advantage of France. The practice of expansion and colonization led to the shift from the Dutch Republic to England and France as the major economic powers.
The strive for military control of the Atlantic trade routs resulted from mercantilism. The reason wars occurred was because of the competition between the French, Dutch, and English. The Dutch and English traded and fished across the each other’s coastlines, resulting in the thirteen battles fought (Doc.2). The Dutch were a naval state but was recovering from the War of Spanish Succession. In its weak spot, the