1.1 - changing nature + extent of trade

Question 1

what was gov economic policy like in the early 18th century + what effects did this have?

Answer 1

protectionist + mercantilist
- stifled trade + alienated colonies
- direct cause of AWOI + pushed Ireland towards rebellion

Question 2

when was the Scramble for Africa?

Answer 2

1881-1914

Question 3

what trade did Britain dominate in the mid-18th century?

Answer 3

the slave trade
(by 1790s around 120-130 space ships sailed from Liverpool as part of the triangular trade)

Question 4

how were the gentry benefitting from the slave trade?

Answer 4

many lodged money with the English bankers who gave money to slave traders, the gentry were indirectly benefitting from the slave trade

Question 5

which group of people organised the first abolitionist movement + when did they petition in parliament?

Answer 5

Quakers
1783

Question 6

who launched a parliamentary campaign against abolition in 1789?

Answer 6

Wilberforce

Question 7

why did parliament repeatedly vote against Wilberforce’s bills?

Answer 7

the British-french rivalry was still important - France wanted abolition so Britian were forced to want retention

Question 8

what Act ended Britain’s role in the slave trade?

Answer 8

Slave Trade Act 1807

Question 9

what book did Smith publish in 1776?

Answer 9

Wealth of Nations

Question 10

what did Smith talk about in his 1776 book?

Answer 10

• he attacked mercantilism, arguing tariffs prevented effective trade
• argued removing barriers would increase overall wealth, proposing both parties in a trade benefitted from free-trade

Question 11

why was the adoption of free trade a slow process in Britain?

Answer 11

• many tariffs in place were designed to give British goods a commercial advantage
• vested interest - parliament dominated by wealthy who often supported these measures to keep their incomes

Question 12

what did Irish protestors in Dublin do in 1778?

Answer 12

protested with a cannon, hung a sign saying ‘free trade or this!’

Question 13

what did Smith suggest when the gov consulted him in 1778?

Answer 13

he called the restrictions on Irish trade ‘unjust’ + ‘oppressive’, recommending Ireland should have free-trade

Question 14

when did the gov remove restrictions on Ireland?

Answer 14

1779

Question 15

when were the Corn Laws passed?

Answer 15

1815

Question 16

what were the Corn Laws designed to do?

Answer 16

to keep grain prices high by excluding foreign grain from British markets

Question 17

what impact did the 1832 ROPA have?

Answer 17

• increased electorate by 60%
• made constituency boundaries more representative

Question 18

when was the Ani-Corn Law League founded?

Answer 18

1838

Question 19

when was Robert Peel the PM?

Answer 19

1941

Question 20

how many tariffs did Peel remove + when?

Answer 20

over 1,200 during 1842-46

Question 21

what was the most important expression of mercantilism?

Answer 21

the Navigation Acts (1651-1673)

Question 22

what did the Navigation Acts mean?

Answer 22

• colonial goods produced for export could only be carried on English built + owned ships
• certain goods had to be shipped to an English port even if they were to be exported to another European country
• European imports to British colonies also needed to land at an English port + then be reshipped onwards

Question 23

what did the Navigation Acts prevent?

Answer 23

the development of more sophisticated colonial economies

Question 24

what did salutary neglect mean for the Navigation Acts?

Answer 24

Britain tended not to enforce trade regulations too tightly + smuggling was rife -> improved relations between Britain + colonies

Question 25

when were the Corn Laws + Sugar Duties removed?

Answer 25

Importation Act 1846

Question 26

when did the Navigation Acts get repealed?

Answer 26

1849

Question 27

what did the repeal of the Navigation Acts show?

Answer 27

the importance of free trade
- Britain removed the basis of its defence policy for the past 200 years
- Nav Acts aimed to increase no. of British ships + provide larger pool of manpower for RN so repeal meant free trade became more important than national defence (even Smith supported Nav Acts bc he thought needs of the Navy were more important than the needs of merchants)

Question 28

when did free-trade dominate gov thinking by?

Answer 28

by 1849