EH.N: CfP: Session at North American Conference of British Studies

[Leigh Gardner]

Call for Papers: Session, “Perspectives on Free Trade: Domestic and 
Colonial Implications of British Trade Policy”, North American 
Conference of British Studies – Cincinnati, 3-5 Oct. 2008

>From the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846 through the First World War, 
free trade served as a cornerstone of Britain’s economic, colonial, and 
foreign policies. Britain’s unilateral adoption of free trade and its 
subsequent agreements with other European powers quickly extended free 
trade not only across Europe, but also throughout the rapidly expanding 
colonial empires. Yet changing economic and geopolitical conditions as 
well as domestic concerns meant that free trade increasingly became a 
topic of debate at home and abroad from the late 19th century, 
particularly following Joseph Chamberlain’s efforts to institute 
preferential tariffs for British colonies in 1903-04.

While the high politics and economic implications of Britain’s “free 
trade empire” are widely studied, large gaps remain in examining the 
responses of constituencies affected by free trade policy and the 
changing relationship between the state and the economy that it implied. 
This panel will explore the free trade question from diverse angles – 
ranging from colonial administrations to members of Britain’s 
co-operative movement.

Using a wide range of methodologies, this panel seeks to address gaps in 
current scholarship by examining the responses to, and impacts of, free 
trade on constituencies often left out of the historical literature. The 
panel will contribute to a broader understanding of the dynamics of 
British economic policy, and its social implications, domestically and 
throughout the empire.

Papers exploring any aspect of free trade in Britain and/or its empire, 
from the 19th century to present, are welcomed. Please introduce 
yourself and send an abstract and a copy of your C.V. to Leigh Gardner 
(leigh.gardner at jesus.ox.ac.uk) by no later than 31 January, 2008.

Leigh Gardner and Rachael Vorberg-Rugh, University of Oxford