José Joaquín de Mora and the Debates on the Free Trade Policy in Spain (1843-1853)

Abstract

After a 20-year exile in London and in the new Hispanic American republics, where he proved to be a great advocate of classical political economy, José Joaquín de Mora returned to Spain in 1843, when a series of lively debates on trade policy and taxation unfolded in the context of a political period characterized by conservative liberalism that lasted until 1853. During this period, Mora, equipped with the model of economic development that he had outlined during his exile, took part in the economic debates of the decade, becoming an active propagator of free trade to influence the development of a favorable mood for introducing it into Spanish legislation.