In 1816 , the Year Without a Summer ( caused by the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia ) caused famine by disastrously reducing crop yields . Reduced standard of living and food shortages due to poor harvests led to riots . But the ceiling price of 80 shillings a quarter for domestic grain was so high that , between 1815 and 1848 , it was never reached . David Ricardo , however , espoused free trade so that Britain could use its capital and population to its comparative advantage
1815 eruption of Mount Tambora
1815 eruption of Mount Tambora
Corn Laws