The Commercial Revolution Practice Test

A 75–125 word excerpt states that as Atlantic trade expanded, some European regions shifted from subsistence production toward market-oriented agriculture and proto-industrial output. It mentions the “putting-out system,” in which merchants supplied raw materials to rural households, collected finished textiles, and sold them in wider markets. The excerpt suggests this arrangement helped bypass urban guild restrictions and increased production for export. Which outcome best reflects the significance of the putting-out system during the Commercial Revolution?

In a 75–125 word excerpt, a historian argues that the Commercial Revolution increased state capacity by linking government finance to expanding trade. The excerpt mentions the sale of government bonds, the growth of national debt, and more predictable tax revenues from customs duties. It suggests that reliable credit allowed some states to wage longer wars and maintain larger navies. Which development most directly illustrates the connection between commerce and stronger state power described in the excerpt?