John Prince-Smith
Encyclopedia
John Prince-Smith was an English-born
, German
free trade
liberal
and politician
.
, England
, where his father worked as a barrister
. John went to Eton in 1820, but after his father's death two years later, he found work in various jobs as an apprentice. In 1830, he moved to Hamburg
, and found work in Elbing
, where he worked as an English language teacher.
The (liberal) merchants in the port cities of Prussia
suffered from the protectionist measures of the Zollverein
, and Prince-Smith soon found himself becoming political active, becoming one of the more outspoken proponents of free trade. Prince-Smith believed protectionist
tariffs to be harmful in general, and argued that worldwide free trade would lead to universal peace. With the advent of the Anti-Corn Law League
in Britain
in the 1840s, a likewise movement was started in the Prussian port cities. Prince-Smith became mentor of such later free traders as Julius Faucher
and Max Wirth
. In 1860, at an economic conference in Cologne
, the free trade movement was successful in getting essential reforms put forth to the Zollverein.
Prince-Smith was elected to the first Reichstag
in 1870.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
Life
Prince-Smith was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where his father worked as a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
. John went to Eton in 1820, but after his father's death two years later, he found work in various jobs as an apprentice. In 1830, he moved to Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, and found work in Elbing
Elbing
Elbing is the German name of Elbląg, a city in northern Poland which until 1945 was a German city in the province of East Prussia.Elbing may also refer to:- Ships :* SMS Elbing, light cruiser of the Imperial Germany Navy...
, where he worked as an English language teacher.
The (liberal) merchants in the port cities of Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
suffered from the protectionist measures of the Zollverein
Zollverein
thumb|upright=1.2|The German Zollverein 1834–1919blue = Prussia in 1834 grey= Included region until 1866yellow= Excluded after 1866red = Borders of the German Union of 1828 pink= Relevant others until 1834...
, and Prince-Smith soon found himself becoming political active, becoming one of the more outspoken proponents of free trade. Prince-Smith believed protectionist
Protectionism
Protectionism is the economic policy of restraining trade between states through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas, and a variety of other government regulations designed to allow "fair competition" between imports and goods and services produced domestically.This...
tariffs to be harmful in general, and argued that worldwide free trade would lead to universal peace. With the advent of the Anti-Corn Law League
Anti-Corn Law League
The Anti-Corn Law League was in effect the resumption of the Anti-Corn Law Association, which had been created in London in 1836 but did not obtain widespread popularity. The Anti-Corn Law League was founded in Manchester in 1838...
in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the 1840s, a likewise movement was started in the Prussian port cities. Prince-Smith became mentor of such later free traders as Julius Faucher
Julius Faucher
Julius Faucher was a German journalist and a significant advocate of Liberalism and Free Trade...
and Max Wirth
Max Wirth
Max Wirth was a German journalist and economist.- Life :Max Wirth is the son of Johann Georg August Wirth, a Bavarian writer and organizer of the Hambach Festival in 1832. Max studied law and political economy at the University of Heidelberg, where he joined the Corps Rhenania...
. In 1860, at an economic conference in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, the free trade movement was successful in getting essential reforms put forth to the Zollverein.
Prince-Smith was elected to the first Reichstag
Reichstag (German Empire)
The Reichstag was the parliament of the North German Confederation , and of the German Reich ....
in 1870.