EDEXCEL A LEVEL HISTORY THE
BRITISH EMPIRE TRADE EXAM
QUESTION & ANSWERS 2026
What was the financial situation at the end of the 7 Years
war? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Government debt was
157% of GDP in 1763
What kept the economy running while Britain paid for the
wars? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Trade
What was a recurring theme behind British economic
policy? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Maintaining land and
sea forces across the globe (ut was expensive)
What was the main economic policy in this period? -
CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Mercantilism
What is mercantilism? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A
policy of government intervention where the value of
exports is more than the value of imports, known as a
positive balance of trade. Its objective was acquiring gold
or silver bullion through positive balances of trade.
According to mercantilism, the world is a finite resource
and the British Empire's objective was to acquire as much
as possible
,EDEXCEL A LEVEL HISTORY THE
BRITISH EMPIRE TRADE EXAM
QUESTION & ANSWERS 2026
What were the benefits and costs of mercantilism? -
CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Benefits - Britain was the
mother country, wealthy people benefitted from it
Costs - trade wasn't possible with those 'outside the
bubble' and it alienated colonies - this was the reason for
the American War of Independence and Ireland's rebellion
Despite these restrictions, why did Ireland's economy
grow? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔They had large
estates, excellent grazing land and cheap labour which
made Irish agriculture competitive. Also, they benefitted
from selling Britain war supplies
Why was mercantilism bad for lower class Irish people? -
CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Ireland's wealth was
concentrated in a small number of Irish protestant
landowners, while the peasants remained poor and the
middle class were becoming frustrated. This escalated
Irish demands for free trade
When were trade restrictions removed in Ireland? -
CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔1779
, EDEXCEL A LEVEL HISTORY THE
BRITISH EMPIRE TRADE EXAM
QUESTION & ANSWERS 2026
How did the 1832 Representation of the People Act
influence trade policies? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔The
electorate was extended to manufacturers and
consumers, who were opposed to protectionist measures.
This led to the formation of the 1838 Anti-Corn Law
league which decried protectionist policies
What were the 1815 Corn Laws? - CORRECT ANSWERS
✔✔They kept the price of British grain high so it would be
cheaper for them to produce and export
What were the Navigation Acts? - CORRECT ANSWERS
✔✔The English Navigation Acts were a series of laws
which, beginning in 1651, restricted foreign shipping.
They ensured that they only traded with ships displaying
British flags and shipping arrived at British ports even if
they were heading to Europe. There was also an import
tax for boats entering and leaving ports
Why were the Navigation Acts opposed? - CORRECT
ANSWERS ✔✔- They defeated the purpose of salutary
neglect in the colonies
- Britain used the Navy to heavily enforce the acts
BRITISH EMPIRE TRADE EXAM
QUESTION & ANSWERS 2026
What was the financial situation at the end of the 7 Years
war? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Government debt was
157% of GDP in 1763
What kept the economy running while Britain paid for the
wars? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Trade
What was a recurring theme behind British economic
policy? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Maintaining land and
sea forces across the globe (ut was expensive)
What was the main economic policy in this period? -
CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Mercantilism
What is mercantilism? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A
policy of government intervention where the value of
exports is more than the value of imports, known as a
positive balance of trade. Its objective was acquiring gold
or silver bullion through positive balances of trade.
According to mercantilism, the world is a finite resource
and the British Empire's objective was to acquire as much
as possible
,EDEXCEL A LEVEL HISTORY THE
BRITISH EMPIRE TRADE EXAM
QUESTION & ANSWERS 2026
What were the benefits and costs of mercantilism? -
CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Benefits - Britain was the
mother country, wealthy people benefitted from it
Costs - trade wasn't possible with those 'outside the
bubble' and it alienated colonies - this was the reason for
the American War of Independence and Ireland's rebellion
Despite these restrictions, why did Ireland's economy
grow? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔They had large
estates, excellent grazing land and cheap labour which
made Irish agriculture competitive. Also, they benefitted
from selling Britain war supplies
Why was mercantilism bad for lower class Irish people? -
CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔Ireland's wealth was
concentrated in a small number of Irish protestant
landowners, while the peasants remained poor and the
middle class were becoming frustrated. This escalated
Irish demands for free trade
When were trade restrictions removed in Ireland? -
CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔1779
, EDEXCEL A LEVEL HISTORY THE
BRITISH EMPIRE TRADE EXAM
QUESTION & ANSWERS 2026
How did the 1832 Representation of the People Act
influence trade policies? - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔The
electorate was extended to manufacturers and
consumers, who were opposed to protectionist measures.
This led to the formation of the 1838 Anti-Corn Law
league which decried protectionist policies
What were the 1815 Corn Laws? - CORRECT ANSWERS
✔✔They kept the price of British grain high so it would be
cheaper for them to produce and export
What were the Navigation Acts? - CORRECT ANSWERS
✔✔The English Navigation Acts were a series of laws
which, beginning in 1651, restricted foreign shipping.
They ensured that they only traded with ships displaying
British flags and shipping arrived at British ports even if
they were heading to Europe. There was also an import
tax for boats entering and leaving ports
Why were the Navigation Acts opposed? - CORRECT
ANSWERS ✔✔- They defeated the purpose of salutary
neglect in the colonies
- Britain used the Navy to heavily enforce the acts
