english colonies were established by joint-stock companies controlled by a. clergymen
b. monarchs***
c. businessmen
d. american indian leaders
The answer is c. businessmen.
To arrive at this answer, you can start by considering the time period in question, which is the establishment of English colonies. During this period in history, countries like England were exploring and colonizing new lands.
One way to determine who controlled these colonies is to examine the historical context. In the case of English colonies, joint-stock companies played a significant role in their establishment. These companies were formed by investors pooling their resources together to fund colonial expeditions.
Now, to determine who controlled these joint-stock companies, you can eliminate a. clergymen and d. American Indian leaders, as they were not typically involved in the establishment or control of these companies.
This leaves us with b. monarchs and c. businessmen. While monarchs did have some level of control and influence over the colonies, it was primarily the businessmen who controlled the joint-stock companies. They held the power to make the decisions about the colonies and their economic ventures.
Therefore, the correct answer is c. businessmen.