The British Parliament repealed the Corn Laws, which had imposed tariffs on imported grain to protect domestic landowners, after years of debate intensified by the Irish famine. The repeal opened Britain to cheaper foreign grain and became a landmark victory for advocates of free trade over agricultural protectionism. It signaled a broader shift in British economic policy toward lowering tariffs on many imported goods over the following decades. The decision influenced trade policy debates elsewhere in Europe and in the British Empire.
Relevance to Trade History
Marked a turning point toward free-trade policy in the industrial era, reshaping how tariffs and agricultural imports were treated across international trade.
Read the full story in our article The Industrial Revolution and Mass Production.
Source: UK Parliament Living Heritage. See our Sources & Methodology page for how we select and verify references.