▁controls ▁over ▁sm ugg ling ) ▁were ▁a ▁major ▁ir rit ant ▁leading ▁to ▁the ▁American ▁Revolution . ▁ ▁Mer c ant il ism ▁taught ▁that ▁trade ▁was ▁a ▁zero - sum ▁game ▁with ▁one ▁country ' s ▁gain ▁equivalent ▁to ▁a ▁loss ▁sust ained ▁by ▁the ▁trad ing ▁partner . ▁ ▁Wh atever ▁the ▁theoretical ▁weak ness es ▁exposed ▁by ▁econom ists ▁after ▁Adam ▁Smith , ▁it ▁was ▁under ▁merc ant il ist ▁policies ▁before ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 0 s ▁that ▁Britain ▁became ▁the ▁world ' s ▁dominant ▁tr ader , ▁and ▁the ▁global ▁h eg emon . ▁ ▁Mer c ant il ism ▁in ▁Britain ▁ended ▁when ▁Parliament ▁repe aled ▁the ▁Navigation ▁Act s ▁and ▁Corn ▁La ws ▁by ▁ 1 8 4 6 . ▁ ▁Sch ol ars ▁agree ▁that ▁Britain ▁gradually ▁dropped ▁merc ant il ism ▁after ▁ 1 8 1 5 . ▁Free ▁trade , ▁with ▁no ▁tar iffs ▁and ▁few ▁restrictions , ▁was ▁the ▁prev ail ing ▁doctrine ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 0 s ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s . ▁ ▁Def ending ▁emp ire ▁and ▁" pse udo - emp ire " ▁John ▁Dar win ▁has ▁expl ored ▁the ▁way ▁histor ians ▁have ▁explained ▁the ▁large ▁role ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Navy ▁and ▁the ▁much ▁smaller ▁role ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Army ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁emp ire . ▁For ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁he ▁expl ores ▁what ▁he ▁calls ▁a ▁" pse udo - emp ire