Economic Nationalism in Britain in the Nineteenth Century

Abstract

In India, originally exploited by the East India Company purely as an economic investment, we should see most clearly whatever evidence can be found of British economic nationalism in the nineteenth century. During the nineteenth century, Britain greatly extended her control over India, Burma, and South Africa, and eventually granted autonomy in the Commonwealth to Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The movement to free trade was initiated by those who believed that Britain and the rest of the world would gain in welfare and that the losses would be borne by a privileged class within Britain. British economic policy in the nineteenth century was nationalistic to the extent that its advocates believed it would contribute to the prosperity of the nation. Four aspects of British policy will be considered: the policy of free trade; the economic aspect of British foreign policy; foreign investment policy; and the policy of imperialism.