Corn Laws
Definition
A series laws passed by British Parliament designed to protect cereal producers in Britain against competition from less expensive foreign imports between 1815 and 1846.
Analogy
Imagine you're selling lemonade on your street, but someone else starts selling cheaper lemonade. To keep your business going, you convince your parents (the government) to make a rule that everyone has to buy your more expensive lemonade. That's what happened with Corn Laws - they were rules protecting local farmers from cheaper foreign competition.
Related terms
Protectionism: Economic policy restricting imports from other countries through methods such as tariffs on imported goods to protect domestic industries from foreign competition.
Free Trade: International trade left to its natural course without tariffs, quotas, or other restrictions.
Repeal of Corn Laws: An act done by British Parliament in 1846 which ended protective tariffs making grain cheaper for consumers.
"Corn Laws" appears in:
Subjects (1)
Practice Questions (11)
- What was the primary purpose of the Corn Laws in 19th century Britain?
- How did the Corn Laws of 1815 in Britain, designed to protect domestic agriculture, impact the industrial sector over time?
- If the Corn Laws hadn't been repealed in Britain in 1846, what major outcome is most plausible?
- In what way did the Corn Laws impact British society in the early nineteenth century?
- What was the primary purpose of Britain's Corn Laws during the early nineteenth century?
- What was the main objective of the Corn Laws in 19th century Britain?
- The Corn Laws were repealed in Britain primarily to benefit which group?
- What was an outcome of the Corn Laws implemented by Britain in early 19th century?
- What was the main objective of the Corn Laws in 19th-century Britain?
- What was the primary effect of the Corn Laws implemented in 1815 by England?
- What was a significant impact of the Corn Laws in Britain during the early nineteenth century?
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