Corn Laws debate

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The Corn Laws debate was a major 19th-century British political and economic controversy over tariffs on imported grain, pitting free-trade advocates against protectionists and shaping modern economic and trade policy.

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Observed surface forms (5)

Surface form Occurrences
Anti-Corn Law movement 1
Corn Laws 1
Corn Laws of 1815 1

Statements (58)

Predicate Object
instanceOf economic debate
political debate
public policy controversy
country United Kingdom
describedBySource contemporary newspapers
economic treatises of the 19th century
pamphlets and political tracts
parliamentary records of the House of Commons
endTime 1846
hasEffect development of modern free-trade ideology
influence on later trade policy debates worldwide
repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846
rise of the Peelites
shift of Britain toward free trade
split of the Conservative Party in the 1840s
strengthening of industrial and commercial interests
weakening of protectionist agricultural interests
hasPart Anti–Corn Law League campaign
mass meetings and petitions
pamphlet wars on free trade
parliamentary debates on grain tariffs
press campaigns
protectionist landowners’ campaign
public agitation for repeal
location Great Britain
mainSubject British trade policy
agricultural interests
food prices
free trade
industrial interests
laissez-faire economics
protectionism
tariffs on imported grain
working-class living standards
mainTopic Corn Laws debate self-linksurface differs
surface form: Corn Laws
opposedBy free-trade advocates
industrial manufacturers
many working-class activists
urban middle classes
significantPerson Benjamin Disraeli
David Ricardo
Harriet Martineau
James Wilson (economist)
John Bright
John Stuart Mill
Lord Derby
Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool
surface form: Lord Liverpool

William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
surface form: Lord Melbourne

Nassau William Senior
Richard Cobden
Robert Peel
Thomas Malthus
Thomas Tooke
William Huskisson
startTime 1815
supportedBy many Conservative MPs
protectionist landowners
timePeriod 19th century

Referenced by (6)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Political Economy Club hasInfluenceOn Corn Laws debate
British reform movement hasPart Corn Laws debate
this entity surface form: Anti-Corn Law movement
British reform movement influenced Corn Laws debate
this entity surface form: Repeal of the Corn Laws
this entity surface form: corn laws
Corn Laws debate mainTopic Corn Laws debate self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Corn Laws
Lord Liverpool ministry significantEvent Corn Laws debate
this entity surface form: Corn Laws of 1815