What economic system encouraged the growth of colonies for the benefit of the mother country?

The economic system that encouraged the growth of colonies for the benefit of the mother country is mercantilism. This theory emphasized that a nation's power is directly related to its wealth, particularly as measured by the amount of gold and silver it possessed. Mercantilism promoted the idea that colonies should exist primarily to serve the economic interests of the mother country.

Under mercantilism, the mother country would extract raw materials from its colonies and then manufacture goods from these materials, ultimately selling them back to the colonies or to other markets. This system fostered a self-sustaining loop where colonies provided resources that the mother country would turn into products, thereby enhancing its economic strength and political power.

This economic framework led to the establishment of trade regulations and navigation laws aimed at controlling colonial trade to ensure that it benefited the mother country, rather than allowing colonies to trade freely with other nations. In this way, mercantilism fueled imperial ambitions and justified the expansion of European empires during the age of exploration and colonization.