R6-17

 Mercantilism in the 17th century was vital to the influx of money being earned by independent countries. Many countries adopted a mercantilist operating style to increase profits. It became increasingly popular for countries to develop what was called a “merchant marine”. These ships served dual purposes. One was protection of the waters and the other was trade. One example of a strong merchant marine is under the advisement of Jean -Baptiste Colbert, financial minister of France. Colbert instructed the ports to carefully watch for foreign ships, and the money earned from trade was given to French shipbuilders in order to produce more ships to keep expanding the merchant marines. Mercantilism focused on the exporting aspect of trade rather than the importation of goods because it was believed that exporting items increased revenue.  LaHaye, Laura. "Mercantilism." //A Concise Encyclopedia of Economics //. 23 Apr 2009 .