Show free trade period periods free trade lias has had five periods of relative prevalence in the history lii story of the united states i e there have been five distinctly marked periods alion competing imports have been freer than at any ay others to enter our ports to the subversion and overthrow of domestic competing industries these were first forstthe the colonial period ending with throwing over of the tea in boston harbor and the battle of lexington in 1775 the british parliament forbade us by law to manufacture in order that they might monopolize our market markel this chiefly impelled us toward the tho war for independence second the peace under confederation period from 1783 to 1789 when no national duties on imports existed this chiefly implied impelled us to adopt the federal constitution third the period of the so called reciprocity treaty treat with england in 1816 to 1824 culminating is it the financial crisis of 1817 19 fourth the compromise tariff period of 1833 to 1812 1842 including the unbar alleged crisis of 1830 9 fifth the walker tariff period of 1846 to 1857 1837 intensified by the further reduction in 1837 and thus prolonged to march 3 1801 this period was marked by a general poverty or hard times crisis setting in in the summer of 1854 continuing into a bankruptcy and nonpayment crisis in 1853 which caused a mercantile bankruptcy crisis in england in 1856 and this reacting produced the bank crisis in america in 1857 after which the country struggled on in a pauperized condition until 1801 without a single exception our every approach to free trade brought disaster particularly to farmers and working people do we want any more of W it american economist |