During the past 250-300 years Britain's trade with the rest of the world grew dramatically. One of the most important elements of this expansion, is that English merchants, had a great navy backing them up on their voyages. So along with the navy controlling newer lands, the merchants provided the Britain with raw material such as wool from Australia and cotton from America and India.
Much of the credit should however go to the merchants, who helped run the Chartered companies all over the world. …
