The Anti-Corn Law League Flashcards
When were the Corn Laws passed?
1815
What was the Corn Law?
It was designed to keep the price of wheat high
What caused the Corn Law to be made?
Politicians in government were wealthy land owners who had made money from high wheat prices when trading had stopped with the French because of war. They were reluctant to see their profits fall.
Who was the Anti-Corn Law League mostly made up of?
Middle-class men who felt restrictions were unfair to the poor and the manufacturing middle class.
Who were two prominent leaders of the Anti-Corn Law League?
Richard Cobden and John Bright
Give 4 ways Cobden and Bright spread their ideas:
-Touring the country
-Giving speeches (both were excellent orators)
-Creating pamphlets
-Publishing articles in sympathetic newspapers
Give 2 ways Cobden and Bright took advantage of new technology:
-Using the railway to travel faster
-Spreading their pamphlets through the penny post
What was the penny post?
A cheap post that most people could afford.
What were Cobden and Bright’s main 6 arguments?
-The laws were unfair the poor
-Cheap wheat could help lower living costs
-People could spend more money on other foods like meat which could help farmers
-People could spend more money on industrial goods thus benefitting the manufacturers
-Countries exporting their wheat to Britain would have the money to invest in industry
-The relationship built up from trade could ensure peace in Europe in the coming years
When were Cobden and Bright elected as MPs?
1841 and 1843
Who did they find the support of in parliament?
The new Prime Minister, Robert Peel.
Peel was a supporter of what?
Free trade
What party was Peel the leader of and why was this an issue?
He was the leader of the conservative party, whose members were mostly wealthy landowners who would not support changes to a law which protected their wealth.
What happened in the early 1840s?
There was a potato failure in Ireland.
What caused the potato failure in Ireland?
A crop diseases blight, which had spread across Europe.
Why was the potato failure in Ireland a problem for the poor in Ireland?
They relied heavily on potatoes and bread for their diet.
What had happened in Ireland by 1846?
Ireland was experiencing a terrible famine and millions of people were starving.
How had the corn laws worsened the famine in Ireland?
It meant that there was no spare wheat to send to Ireland.
What was happening simultaneously to the famine in Ireland?
There were crop failures in England and Scotland and reports of suffering started to reach London.
What 3 factors were about to cause a similar crisis in England to Ireland?
-The bad harvest
-The lack of work for tenant farmers
-The high price of bread
When did Robert Peel repeal the Corn Laws?
in 1846
What forced Robert Peel to resign?
He received so much backlash from his own political party by understanding problems faced by Chartists and the workers, and changing conditions for workers.
What did Robert Peel state in his final speech in parliament?
He stated that he hoped people would remember him as someone who did the right thing.
Did the repealing of the Corn Laws have any devastating effect?
No
Why had wheat prices not been affected after the repealing of the Corn Laws?
The low prices of wheat after the end of the war with France was not because of foreign imports but because of wheat over-production during the war years.
How had the poor benefitted from the repealing of the Corn Laws?
They were now able to afford wheat.
How had farmers benefitted from the repealing of the Corn Laws?
The price of barley, oats and meat actually increased, which helped those farmers that had been affected.
