# The Apostle of Free Trade: Richard Cobden

**URL:** <https://www.libertarianism.org/podcasts/portraits-of-liberty/the-apostle-of-free-trade-richard-cobden>

**By** Paul Meany

**Published:** August 13, 2020

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The 19th-century Englishman Richard Cobden is famous for abolishing the Corn Laws, a great victory for free trade, which has inspired free marketeers across the globe.

Despite his humble origins as the son of a failed farmer, Cobden became a celebrity within his life as both a politician and activist. Cobden spent much of his career attacking the Corn Laws, a set of restrictive policies that dramatically increased the price of food in Britain. But an often overlooked aspect of Cobden's career is his staunch opposition to British wars abroad. He saw no benefit for Britain in meddling in the affairs of other nations.