MERCANTILISM & CAPITALISM - 06/13/25

Triangle Trade

A trade network between Europe, West Africa, and North America

Raw materials

Goods like sugar and tobacco brought from America to Europe

Finished products

Europe turned raw goods into items and sold them to Africa

Labor demand

Europeans bought slaves from West Africa to work in the Americas

Goal of Triangle Trade

Make money and expand empires through trade

Joint

stock companies

Capitalism

A system where individuals (not the government) control money and business

Growth of Capitalism

Grew in Europe during the Age of Exploration

Why Capitalism grew

People started funding private expeditions, not just governments

Age of Exploration

The time when Europe expanded trade, colonies, and economy (1400s–1600s)

Europe's trade gain

European countries got rich from selling goods and expanding empires

Why slavery increased

More plantations needed more labor for crops like sugar and tobacco