The Corn Laws were tariffs that governed the importation and exportation of grain. Some sources say that these laws were introduced as early as the twelfth century; however, they became politically important in the late eighteenth century through the early nineteenth century. The reason for their increase in popularity was because of the grain shortage caused by both a growing population and blockades imposed by the Napoleonic Wars ("Corn Law"). Furthermore, these laws caused stress amongst the middle class because they could not grow their own food making them pay high prices for these goods (The Corn Laws). The Anti-Corn Law League, formerly known as the Anti-Corn Law Association, was reformed in 1839 to repeal these laws, so they could sell more goods nationally and internationally (The Corn Laws). This group was mainly comprised of middle-class manufacturers, merchants, bankers, and traders. The Anti-Corn Law League lead a nation-wide campaign in 1846 in which they successfully convinced Parliament and the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Peel, to repeal the legislation.

In "A Christmas Carol", written by Charles Dickens, the setting is the city of London. There were characters like the Cratchit family who did not have a significant amount of wealth like Scrooge did. Because of their financial struggles, the holiday time made it difficult to buy certain goods for Christmas dinner. The Corn Laws were not repealed until 1846, making them relevant to the financial hardships that some families endured throughout the Dickens novel. Not only can Scrooge's gesture of buying goods for the family dinner be seen as his character development, but also as a charitable act given a difficult time.

Works Cited

"Corn Law." Britannica Academic, Encyclopædia Britannica, 12 May. 2010. academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/Corn-Law/26322. Accessed 30 Jan. 2023.

“Corn Laws.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Jan. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_Laws#:~:text=The%20Corn%20Laws%20were....

The Corn Laws, https://www.victorianweb.org/history/cornlaws1.html.