An anniversary for free traders
How the Victorians fought for cheap food
ABOUT HALF of most British people’s income in the 1830s and 1840s was spent on food. Hunger was commonplace, occasionally sparking riots. Contributing to the high cost were tariffs on imported grain, called the Corn Laws, which soared as high as 80%. The system enriched aristocratic landowners when most Britons were not allowed to serve in Parliament or vote.
This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “The appeal of Peel and repeal”
Finance & economics June 26th 2021
- The international role of the euro
- Global markets adapt to a change in the Federal Reserve’s tone
- Three corporate giants are posing a stiff test for Chinese banks
- A new phase in the financial cycle
- An anniversary for free traders
- Europe’s biggest neobank wants to take over the world
- Economics needs to evolve
From the June 26th 2021 edition
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