Final answer:
Mercantilism led to the exploitation of the American colonies, who were restricted to producing raw materials for England, causing trade imbalance, stunting local industry, and leading to political discontent that contributed to revolutionary sentiment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The political economic impact of mercantilism on the American colonies prominently featured an exploitative system where raw materials were extracted by the colonies and sent back to the mother countries for manufacturing into finished products. This system of trade was rigorously controlled through Navigation Acts which created a monopolistic flow of goods and rendered the colonies dependent on England for finished products, leading to a trade imbalance and stunting the colonies' own industrial development. Moreover, this system fostered an economic structure that privileged the interests of the mother country's merchants and manufacturers through policies that ensured the colonies remained sources of cheap raw materials, while also facilitating a social hierarchy that heavily relied on a labor force that included enslaved people and indentured servants.
Colonies like those in British North America were integrated into the mercantile economy as producers of raw materials such as tobacco, sugar, and cotton, which were then shipped to England to maximize its wealth. This system enraged colonists and eventually fueled economic and political dissatisfaction which played a role in the rise of colonial protest and subsequently, revolutionary sentiment. Mercantilism was thus a double-edged sword, fostering growth and prosperity in the mother country, but planting the seeds of discontent and desire for independence in the colonies.