Short Constructed-Response Practice

Document A: "The merchants of Boston paid duties on tea imported from England, while England forbade them to buy tea more cheaply from the Dutch. The colonies were required to ship their tobacco only to British ports." Document B: "In 1776 a Scottish economist named Adam Smith argued in The Wealth of Nations that the wealth of a nation depended not on its gold reserves but on the productive labor of its people, and that free trade would enrich all parties." Question 1: Based on Document A, identify and explain one way mercantilism shaped the relationship between Britain and its colonies. Strong sample answer: "Mercantilism shaped the British-colonial relationship by requiring colonies to trade only with the mother country. Document A shows that colonists in Boston were forced to buy tea from Britain at higher prices and could not buy more cheaply from the Dutch. This protected British merchants and ensured that wealth from colonial trade flowed back to Britain rather than to rival nations." What earns the point: Name mercantilism, cite the specific evidence (Boston merchants required to buy from Britain), and explain the why (to ensure colonial wealth flows to the mother country). Question 2: Based on Document B, explain how Adam Smith's argument represented a break from mercantilism.

Strong sample answer:

"Adam Smith broke from mercantilism by arguing that national wealth came from productive labor rather than from accumulating gold and silver. Where mercantilism required strict government control of trade to maintain a favorable balance, Smith argued that free trade would enrich all parties. This challenged the foundational mercantilist assumption that one nation's gain in trade required another nation's loss."