▁country . ▁The ▁goal ▁was ▁to ▁protect ▁its ▁infant ▁manufact uring ▁indust ries ▁from ▁low - cost ▁imports ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁Britain . ▁The ▁demand ▁increasing ly ▁rose ▁in ▁Great ▁Britain ▁to ▁end ▁the ▁free ▁trade ▁policy ▁and ▁imp ose ▁tar iffs ▁to ▁protect ▁its ▁manufact uring ▁from ▁American ▁and ▁German ▁competition . ▁The ▁leading ▁sp okes man ▁was ▁Joseph ▁Chamber lain ▁( 1 8 3 6 - 1 9 1 4 ) ▁and ▁he ▁made ▁" tar iff ▁reform " ▁( that ▁is , ▁impos ing ▁higher ▁tar iffs ) ▁a ▁central ▁issue ▁in ▁British ▁domestic ▁politics . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁the ▁British ▁began ▁sh ifting ▁their ▁policies ▁away ▁from ▁free ▁trade ▁and ▁toward ▁low ▁tar iffs ▁inside ▁the ▁British ▁Commonwealth , ▁and ▁higher ▁tar iffs ▁for ▁outside ▁products . ▁Econom ic ▁histor ians ▁have ▁deb ated ▁at ▁length ▁the ▁impact ▁of ▁these ▁tar iff ▁changes ▁on ▁economic ▁growth . ▁ ▁One ▁controvers ial ▁form ulation ▁by ▁B airo ch ▁arg ues ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 – 1 9 1 4 ▁era : ▁" prote ction ism ▁= ▁economic ▁growth ▁and ▁expansion ▁of ▁trade ; ▁liberal ism ▁= ▁st agn ation ▁in ▁both ". ▁Many ▁studies ▁have ▁supported ▁B airo ch ▁but ▁other ▁econom ists ▁have ▁challeng ed ▁his ▁results ▁regarding ▁Canada . ▁ ▁Gent le man ly ▁capital ism ▁Gent le man ly ▁capital ism ▁is ▁a ▁theory ▁of ▁New ▁Imperial ism ▁first ▁put ▁forward ▁by ▁P . ▁J