Free Trade or Tariffs: What Makes America Great — A Student View
Two hundred years ago, Britain made a big mistake — and then fixed it. That’s something America should pay attention to.
In the early 1800s, British politicians (mostly aristocrats) passed the Corn Laws, tariffs on imported grain. Who benefited from these restrictions? The wealthy landowners — by reaping higher rents.
The result was higher food prices. Workers needed higher wages just to buy bread, forcing factory owners to raise pay. That pushed up production costs, making British goods less competitive abroad. Industrial growth slowed. Great policy, if you were a prince. Terrible if you were anyone else.
When Parliament repealed the Corn Laws in 1846, it wasn’t just an economic reform — it was a power shift. Bread got cheaper. Real wages went up. Factory costs went down. British industry took off. Free trade worked.
This isn’t just a dusty history lesson — it’s a warning.
Today, America’s being sold a new version of protectionism, wrapped in red, white, and blue. We’re told tariffs will “bring back jobs” or “level the playing field.” But tariffs are taxes. They raise prices and shrink choices for consumers, hurting low-income families the most.
Sure, some domestic producers gain. But at what price? Higher input costs hurt exporters. Companies lose markets. Innovation slows. Retaliatory tariffs kill jobs. The damage spreads.
Look at President Trump’s trade policies. He hiked tariffs, especially on China. Critics screamed “trade war!” but the economy didn’t collapse. Markets rose, job numbers grew, and tariff revenues poured in. Supporters say it was a bold move to finally confront Beijing’s dirty tricks — currency manipulation, intellectual property theft, and dumping of cheap goods.
But here’s the question: are those tariffs about correcting unfair trade or just old-fashioned protectionism in disguise, picking winners and losers based on politics, not economics?
Tariffs can be a temporary tool used as leverage. But they shouldn’t be a permanent policy. History shows us what happens when tariffs linger too long. Just ask 19th-century Britain.
The Corn Laws made rich landlords richer while hurting workers and slowing growth. America shouldn’t repeat that mistake. If we want real prosperity, we need more freedom, more trade — not more tariffs.
Lillian Lauzon, is a student from Pinconning, Michigan, who is majoring in Accounting at Northwood University. She co-authored this piece with Kristin Tokarev, a Northwood alumna and Stossel TV producer, for Northwood University’s signature monthly publication, When Free to Choose. Click here to receive this complimentary publication in your inbox!