Final answer:
The English established a mercantilism system in North America to control trade and ensure the flow of benefits towards the mother country, leading to economic growth for the empire but also colonial discontent.
Step-by-step explanation:
The system the English created when they first colonized North America was mercantilism. This economic system was based on the belief that colonies existed primarily to increase the wealth of the mother country, in this case, England. The establishment of mercantilist policies was manifested through the series of Navigation Acts, which regulated colonial trade to ensure that the economic benefits favored the British Empire.
Colonists were required to produce raw materials and exchange them for manufactured goods from England, effectively creating a trade network that benefited the Empire and enforced England's economic growth but led to growing discontent among the colonies.