England Repeals the Corn Laws

England Repeals the Corn Laws — The Corn Laws, first enacted in 1815, were designed to protect British landowners by imposing tariffs and restrictions on imported grain (referred to as “corn”). These laws kept domestic grain prices artificially high after the end of the Napoleonic Wars, benefiting landowners but burdening the working class with rising food costs.

After decades of protest, especially from the Anti-Corn Law League led by Richard Cobden and John Bright, and mounting pressure caused by the Irish Famine, the British government finally repeals the Corn Laws in 1846 under Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel.

The repeal marked a major victory for free trade advocates and signaled a turning point in British economic policy, moving away from protectionism and toward liberal economic reform.