Question

Great Britain promised to protect the colonies from attacks by Native Americans, the French, and the Spanish in return for the colonies __________.

A.)making trade agreements with other countries
B.)trading only with Great Britain
C.)sending representatives to the British government
D.)manufacturing more guns

Answer 1

I believe it is B

Answer 2

Great Britain protected the American colonies in order to maintain their economic stake in the New World. During the seventeenth century (When Britain was beginning to heavily invest in the American east coast), Britain was late to the game, so to speak. The French, Spanish, and even Dutch had all begun investing in exploration in the New World to gain raw goods to ship back to manufacturing centers in Europe. Therefore, Britain had to sweep in and gain as much raw capital as possible to catch up and procure the raw goods that other European nation-states had already been tapping for decades.

Thus, the answer to this question is primarily rooted in the economic stake the British held in the New World. The colonies represented an integral part of the 'mercantile system' in which nations were judged by the amount of raw wealth they held through goods and gold. This system therefore put a large emphasis on having a sustainable base from which to draw raw materials to transform through some industrialized means into mercantile capital to be traded on the European markets. The nation-states of Spain, France, and England were the major powers in this fight for economic dominance. In order to joust for position economically and therefore maintain military might and power in the Old World, Great Britain had to substantially support the colonies and protect them when the time called for it.