The Spitalfields Acts and the classics: Ricardo, J.S. Mill, Bowring, and Senior on the London silk industry (1823 to 1841)

Simon Hupfel

The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, 2012, vol. 19, issue 2, 165-195

Abstract: Passed in 1773, the Spitalfields Acts were the main regulation of the London silk industry. Classical political economy has generally been depicted as one of the main causes of their repeal, occuring in 1824. Recasting the successive interventions of Ricardo, Mill, Bowring and Senior in their respective political context, we show how they exhibit a shift in the discussions, from commercial to industrial issues. After Ricardo and Mill stressed the need to free the trade, Bowring pointed out the superior quality of French products. Senior relied on his work to emphasise the question of copyrights, which dominated his 1841 accounts.

Date: 2012
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DOI: 10.1080/09672567.2010.487287

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