What were some key contributors to the expansion of the Atlantic economy?

The expansion of the Atlantic economy was significantly driven by the demands for labor, the establishment of transatlantic trade routes, and the rise of plantation economies. During this period, European colonization of the Americas led to a high demand for labor to cultivate cash crops such as sugar, tobacco, and cotton. This created a labor-intensive system that relied heavily on enslaved Africans, who were forcibly transported across the Atlantic in the transatlantic slave trade.

The development of trade routes facilitated the exchange of goods, ideas, and populations between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. This commerce not only enriched European economies but also established a pattern of global trade that would become foundational in the Atlantic world. Furthermore, the burgeoning plantation economies in the Caribbean and the Southern colonies of what would become the United States relied on the labor produced by enslaved people, deeply intertwining the economies of the Americas with those of Europe and Africa.

In contrast, a decline in agricultural production and labor shortages would not have promoted expansion but rather hindered it, thus making that option incorrect. Increased regulations on trade would typically restrict rather than promote economic expansion, which does not align with the experiences of this period. Lastly, a focus on local trade and reduced international interactions would also work