I want to know the answer to the following question:
Who argued that colonies were redundant?
All the background I'm provided with is that "Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations, published in 1776, had argued that colonies were redundant, and that free trade should replace the old mercantilist policies that had characterised the first period of colonial expansion, dating back to the protectionism of Spain and Portugal.". Is that enough to answer the question?
Answer: yes