FAO 123everton

[Kromovaracun]

Hi everton,

A few days ago in News you asked me to summarise an article for you that I mentioned. I didn't get around to it while the topic was up, and I know you frequent the history section so thought I'd do so here.

The article was 'The Imperialism of Free Trade' by John Gallagher and Ronald Robinson.

http://www.mtholyoke....rel/ipe/gallagher.htm

This was published in the 50s and if I remember right essentially set out to test the claim of Marxist historians that the European empires had expanded into Africa to satisfy a desire for resources, captive markets for their goods and economic exploitation.

It challenged this by showing that levels of British economic investment outside of the empire were actually much higher than those within it, and the main driving force of the argument was that imperial expansion were reactions to crises 'on the periphery' which it was felt threatened the 'empire of free trade' - vital strategic shipping routes to India. They argue that this derived from a Victorian mentality that upheld extreme faith in free trade and saw a number of key areas as core to upholding it.

[123everton]

Nice one, thanks, I will take some convincing though.
There's gold in them there hills....