Editing Colonialism (section)

== Liberalism and capitalism ==
[[Classical liberals]] were generally in abstract opposition to colonialism and imperialism, including [[Adam Smith]], [[Frédéric Bastiat]], [[Richard Cobden]], John Bright, Henry Richard, [[Herbert Spencer]], H.R. Fox Bourne, Edward Morel, Josephine Butler, W.J. Fox and [[William Ewart Gladstone]].<ref name="dk">[http://www.setav.org/ups/dosya/24514.pdf Liberal Anti-Imperialism] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110922011211/http://www.setav.org/ups/dosya/24514.pdf |date=22 September 2011 }}, professor Daniel Klein, 1 July 2004</ref> Their philosophies found the [[Imperialism|colonial enterprise]], particularly [[mercantilism]], in opposition to the principles of [[free trade]] and [[Political freedom|liberal policies]].<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |year=2007 |title=Anticolonialism |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Western Colonialism since 1450 |publisher=Macmillan Reference USA |location=Detroit |url=https://www.academia.edu/9048629 |access-date=22 May 2015 |editor-last=Benjamin, Thomas |edition=Gale Virtual Reference Library |pages=57–65 |last=Hidalgo|first= Dennis}}</ref> [[Adam Smith]] wrote in ''[[The Wealth of Nations]]'' that Britain should grant independence to all of its colonies and also argued that it would be economically beneficial for British people in the average, although the merchants having mercantilist privileges would lose out.<ref name=dk/><ref>{{Cite book |title=The nature and causes of the wealth of nations ("Of Colonies") |last=Smith, Adam |publisher=T. Cadell |year=1811 |location=London |pages=343–84}}</ref>