In 1815, Lord Liverpool’s government introduced the Corn Laws in order to restrict the importation of foreign grains, which undermined the grain of British farmers, thus it was a form of protection of British grain. The government of Lord Liverpool came into power in 1812, when there was much unrest and discontent, when the Luddite movement became radical, industrial advances began to replace workers, the Game laws were introduced, as were indirect taxes and the Corn Laws, of which a speech was made in March of 1815 by Lord Liverpool, where he mentioned that the laws would improve the agricultural situation of Britain during the post war period. However, due to Napoleons escape, the French War recommenced, resulting in the Battle of Waterloo in June of 1815, which in turn resulted in bad harvests and food riots. During the war, Britain’s trade had increased and British farmers found that they made the most profit between 1806 and 1812, as Napoleon stopped grain from entering Britain in an attempt to make them starve; the farmers had to produce enough food to feed the population, thus could charge high prices as no other grain was entering the market: this was called the Continental system.
However, when the war came to an end in 1815, the arrival of cheaper wheat from Europe, created competition, making British farmers loose profit, and wheat prices fell to 65 shillings and 6 pence per quarter. Parliament at the time was dominated by nobility and landowners, who had an agricultural interest at the expense of those below them. The MPs forced an act to be passed called the Corn Laws. The Corn Laws were tariffs on all grains, and protected Britain against competition from cheap, foreign corn. They were introduced by the introduction of the Importation Act in 1815. They provided a way of enhancing the profits and political power of those people associated with land. The Corn Law stated that no foreign corn (grain) would be allowed in Britain until domestic corn...