A Series of Reforms

During early - mid 1800s Parliament passed many laws, the most controversial involved free trade (trade between countries without quotas, tariffs, and other restrictions) Britain repealed (canceled) many tarrifs, but there was a lot of debate on the Corn Laws, which was high tariffs on imported grain. Farmers and wealthy landowners supported Corn Laws because it kept grain prices high, others said Britain should repeal the law so grain would be cheaper for the workers and open trade in general. Parliament would repeal the corn law after a series of crop failures. Liberals celebrated this even though later tariffs would return.

Also during this time British ships wer carrying more Africans to America than any other European country. But middle class reformers in Britain, France, and the US were against it. This caused the abolition movement (the campaign against slavery and slave trade) in 1807 Britain became first European power to abolish slave trade. In 1833 Parliament passed a law banning all slavery in all British colonies.

Other reforms were aimed at the criminal justice system. Capital offenses such as murder, shoplifting, sheep stealing, and impersonating an army veteran were punishable by death. Some juries refused to convict criminals because the punishments were so harsh. Reformers began to reduce the number of capital offenses, Death penalty was reserved for murder, piracy, treason, and arson. Other petty criminals were transported to penal colonies (settlement for convists) In 1868 Parliament ended public hangings, other reforms improved prinsin conditions and outlawed inprisonment due to debt.

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Section 2 of Chapter 23 in the Prentice Hall World History (2011 edition) book.

Social and Economic Reform in Britain