The Changing Nature and extent of trade Flashcards
What was a recurring theme behind British Economic Policy
large cost of maintaining land and sea froces across the globe
What replaced potectionist and mercantilist views toward trade?
Free trade
How much does the ship ‘lottery’ make in the triangular trade in 1789
12,090
How many ships set sail from liverpool in the 1790s every year for slaves?
120-130
how did william beckford benefit financially from the Slave Trade?
owned thousands of acres in Jamaica
what act ended Br role in Slave trade?
‘Slave Trade Act’ (1807)
There were many factors but what was a main influence of Br resignation from the Slave Trade?
Profit losses
Slave rebellions, losses to foreign privateers and diseases from tropical regions made ST less valuable
what % of ships lost its owner profit in the 18th century?
10%
What theory dominated economic thinking between 16th-18th century?
Mercantilism
Why was adopting free trade a particulalry slow process?
Because many wealthy landowners were MPs who proftted largely from mercantilism
When does Govt remove trade restiction and allow Free Trade in Ireland?
1779
What act in 1832 passed by the Whigs proves to be so important and why?
The ‘Representation of the People Act’
suffrage increaes to 60% more of pop
Manufacturers and consumers could now vote and preffered Free Trade
When were Mercantialism and Protectionism dismanlted?
And by whom
1841, by Sir Robert Peel as PM
How many tariffs were abolished between 1842-46 ?
1200
What was the most important expression of Mercantilistm
the Navigation Acts - passed between 1651-1673
What can the navigation acts be interpreted as ?
Preventing the development of more sophisticated colonial economics
Why was the ‘Imposition Act’ (1846) so problmatic ?
- it removed the Corn Laws and the sugar duties
- this meant that wealthy landowners were disadvantaged
- This caused party to split and Peel forced to resign
Sir Lord Russell favour of free-trade culminated in what?
The Repeal of the Navigation Acts in 1849
The Navigation Acts had an aim to increase the number of Br ships. What did this mean for the removal of the Act?
By dismantling the Acts, Russell and co effectively prioirtised free trade over national defence
What led the growth of the British Empire in the 1800s?
Traders, motivated by profit, not conquest
How many tonnes of opium were imported to China in 1839?
2,500
Many merchants were profitting heavily
By the 1840s, Br Govt was prepared to use warships and gather naval bases to protect its merhcants.
What is this known as?
‘Gunboat Diplomacy’
What did the Treaty of Nainking (1842) include?
Pay 12m in reparations and debts
Cede Hong Kong to British - not returned until 1997
Open ports to foreign traders - low import tariffs of 5%
Grant British citizens legal protections in China
What forced Shanghai to trade with middle men?
The Taiping Rebellion in 1850