Download or read book The Rise of Free Trade: Protectionism and its critics, 1815-1837 written by Cheryl Schonhardt-Bailey and published by Taylor & Francis US. This book was released on 1997 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why was Britain the first country to opt for unilateral free trade 150 years ago? On 16 May 1846, the House of Commons voted to abolish tariff protection for agriculture - the famous 'repeal of the Corn Laws'. Britain then adhered to her free trade policy despite both her relative economic decline and the protectionist policies of her leading trade rivals, the USA and Germany.This four volume set examines and explains the contentious issues surrounding the policy shift to free trade and the subsequent persistence of that policy. This set provides a comprehensive collection of articles including previously unpublished material on nineteenth century British trade policy and a new and comprehensive introduction by the editor putting the material into context.