Question

1. what economic idea drove many european countries to explore and colonize new lands?

a. capitalism that promoted free and open trade systems

b. mercantilism focused on exports and collecting wealth

c. socialism that encouraged equal land distribution

d. feudalism which favored protection over expansion

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option a: Capitalism's free trade focus wasn't the driver of European exploration/colonization in that era.
• Option b: Mercantilism emphasized exporting more than importing, acquiring colonies for resources (to produce exports) and wealth (like gold/silver), which matches the exploration/colonization motive.
• Option c: Socialism's equal land distribution is not related to historical European colonization economics.
• Option d: Feudalism was about local hierarchy, not expansion/colonization.

Answer:

b. Mercantilism focused on exports and collecting wealth