Anti–Corn Law League

– **Corn Laws**
– Taxes on imported grain introduced in 1815
– Prohibited foreign corn imports below 80s a quarter
– Replaced by sliding scale in 1828
– Import duties made it expensive to import grain

– **The League**
– Founded in 1838 with Cobden and Bright as leaders
– Based in Manchester with support from industrialists
– Used emotionally charged meetings and tracts for advocacy
– Defeated protectionists in by-elections
– Played a key role in the repeal of the corn laws in 1846

– **Model for Other Lobbying Organizations**
– Emerged as a powerful national lobbying group
– Elected members to Parliament
– Became a model for later reform movements
– Led to the formation of the Lancashire Public School Association
– Inspired diverse pressure groups in the UK and abroad

– **Critics**
– Thomas Carlyle declined support for the league
– R. S. Surtees satirized the league in his novel
– Criticized for utilitarian self-interest by some
– Some saw the league as attributing all wrongs to the corn tax
– Received opposition from various individuals

– **Related Concepts**
– Manchester Liberalism
– Canada Corn Act
– Meat riots