Hey there!
Your answer is mercantilism
Mercantilism was an economic belief that your country's wealth was solely based on how much gold and silver it owned. It encouraged people to go find gold and silver wherever possible and bring it back to their country to make it richer.
One of the countries that followed this was Spain. If you've ever wondered why Christopher Columbus stole all of the Native American precious metals when he essentially raided them thinking he was in the West Indies, you have your answer.
Hope this helps!
