In Our Time The Corn Laws
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Oct 24, 2013 Learn about the historical impact of the controversial Corn Laws in Britain, the formation of the Anti-Corn Law League, the clash between industry and agriculture ideologies, and Sir Robert Peel's political dilemma in repealing the laws, shaping the future of British politics and economics.
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1815 Law Was Explicitly Protectionist
- The 1815 Corn Law was a deliberate protectionist measure to keep domestic grain prices high for landowners.
- Parliament backed it to protect rents and wartime agricultural investments despite urban opposition.
Protectionism Collapsed By 1821
- By 1821 the protectionist plan had failed as prices collapsed and marginal wartime lands were decultivated.
- Government economists like Huskisson and Ricardo pushed for regular foreign imports to stabilise markets.
Manchester Seeded A Nationwide League
- The Anti-Corn Law League grew from a local Manchester association into a nationwide movement in months.
- It used lecturers, journals and national organisers, including founding The Economist, to push free trade.