Britain saw its colonies as a source of

Britain saw its colonies as a source of wealth, power, and natural resources. Colonies to British countries and empires were sen as a measure of power in the international system and also as a measure of their prestige in relation to other countries. Colonies also were a major source of wealth for countries like Great Britain who traded and taxed the people who lived in the colonies. Also colonies were sources of cheap natural resources for the European countries like Britain.