Contextualizing Period 2 Practice Test

From 1607 to 1754, English colonists lived within a growing Atlantic empire shaped by mercantilism, war, and migration. In the Chesapeake and Lower South, export agriculture connected plantations to British and Caribbean markets, while New England developed shipping, fishing, and commerce. Colonial governments often exercised local autonomy, yet imperial regulations sought to direct trade and strengthen royal control. Which broader context best explains why Britain enacted and enforced mercantilist trade regulations in this era?

In the early 1700s, English officials promoted mercantilism, expecting colonies to supply raw materials and buy manufactured goods, while Atlantic shipping linked New England, the Caribbean, and West Africa through enslaved labor and staple crops. At the same time, imperial rivalry with France and Spain encouraged forts, wars, and shifting alliances with Native nations along contested frontiers. Which broader historical context best frames these developments in British North America during Period 2 (1607–1754)?​