Considered to be the sparkplug for the formation of the infamous Civil War, the Nullification Crisis of 1832 was a hostile conflict between the state of South Carolina and the United States government over the controversial concept of Nullification. Although the crisis concluded without a physical war or casualties, the impact of the tensions created from the Nullification Crisis would leave a lasting mark on the unsteady nation and highlight the problems rising throughout the country. Occurring during the presidency of contentious American president Andrew Jackson and his fiery vice president John C. Calhoun, this political emergency would also serve as a defining moment towards the legacies of these two American icons. This paper will seek
Economic conflict became a major cause of the Civil War because the South objected to unfair tariff levels. With tariffs in place that caused taxes on goods brought into the country, the South started to feel as though this was very unfair to them since they didn’t have as many industries as the North and were more dependent goods imported from Europe. As the taxes went up, so did the price of the items and resulting in every day, normal priced items becoming overpriced for people who couldn't afford the higher prices. This anger among the people of the south caused by this inflation was the source of economic conflict. John Calhoun of South Carolina claimed that he was going to end this practice,
Although Calhoun had stated in his Ordinance that South Carolina would not respond to any forceful acts by the government to attempt to get Calhoun to back down, Jackson found a way to outsmart his opponent. Jackson had congress pass a bill in 1833, "which allowed him to use soldiers to enforce the tariff measures" (Nullification Crisis 1). After the Force Bill was passed, Jackson sent several warships and hundreds of soldiers to Charleston to enforce the laws of the government. Some people argue that what Jackson did was wrong because based on the constitution, Calhoun had the right to declare Nullification for South Carolina. However, what Jackson did was also constitutional and enabled the United States of America to remain as one. Had Jackson not passed the Force Bill immediately after South Carolina's Ordinance was received, Calhoun's scheme may have succeeded and South Carolina
Political tension between the North and the South started early when there was disagreement over Henry Clay’s American System. The American System imposed tariffs to support northern manufacturing, federally funded roads and canals, and supported the National Bank. Northerners were in support of the American System but the South wasn’t on board with the plan. This protective tariff was a tax on imports, and since the South was receiving most of the imported goods, they got the brunt of the tariff. The South believed it was unfair that it was putting money into the North’s industrial economy when the South was barely making enough revenue to support itself. While the South provided the Northern industries with most of the raw materials they needed, the price the North paid for these things were nothing compared to what the South had to pay for the manufactured goods the North produced. The opposition to the American System was so strong that South Carolina declared the tariffs void and threatened to leave the Union. But Andrew Jackson worked with South Carolina and the Union remained whole. This was the Nullification Crisis of 1832. The two regions clashed politically too. While the North became generally
The North had full control over the federal government and used that to suppress the Southern states by creating laws that only benefitted the North. The South felt the corrupt government was unfair and they threatened to secede if nothing was done about it. In The South Carolina Ordinance of Nullification it is stated, “…we
“The Union was formed for the benefit of all” (Edward Livingston). For South Carolina, the crisis involved both the divisions within the state during the crisis and the apparent isolation of the state as the crisis was resolved. By 1860, the state was more internally united than any other southern state, when South Carolina became the first state to secede. Andrew Jackson was a moderate when it came to these issues. “I rely with equal confidence on your undivided support in my determination to execute the laws-to preserve the Union by all constitutional means-to arrest, if possible, by moderate but firm measures” (Edward Livingston). The nullification crisis made President Jackson almost a hero to many nationalists. However, Southerners were made more mindful of their minority position. The issues of nullification and secession stirred the first motions that would eventually lead to the American Civil
The Tariff of 1828 raised taxes and the Southerners did not like this at all. South Carolina threatened to leave the union if the taxes were not lowered. Calhoun wanted to nullify the taxes in South Carolina, but Jackson threatened to bring military forces to South Carolina to solve the problem.
Everyone was hoping Andrew Jackson would lower tariffs once he became president. When Andrew Jackson did not address tariffs South Carolina decided to take charge. A convention place in South Carolina in 1832. It ruled that the tariffs of 1828 and and 1832 were unconstitutional and not enforceable in South Carolina after February 1, 1833. Just before this date Andrew Jackson created a force bill that allowed him to use military forces against South Carolina. He then created a new negotiated tariff for South Carolina, which was passed by congress.
Correspondingly, there was the quarrel over state versus federal rights. States felt they didn’t have any say if they disliked a federal law. So when all these compromises came about concerning slavery in the West, people wanted to be able to nullify federal laws. To nullify is to cancel, and in this case to cancel a federal law. People like John C. Calhoun fought for this right along with many others. However, the federal government felt this was not necessary, therefore, some states threatened to secede.
The Nullification Crisis was significant. The Nullification Crisis started in 1828 when the Congress passed a very high tariff on manufactured goods from Europe. The Southerners started protesting against tariffs and called to secede from the United States. Since anger of tariffs continued to build in the South, the Congress passed a new, lower tariff in 1832, hoping that the protest in the South would die down. However, the South Carolina legislature passed the Nullification act, an act refusing to pay the “illegal” tariffs of 1828 and 1832. If the federal government interfered then the South will continue calling for secession and the union will split apart. The significance of the Nullification Crisis was that it caused President Jackson
Tariffs plagued the president also many times, but the most remembered were the “Tariff of Abominations” in 1828, and the tariff of 1832. South Carolina passed an Ordinance of Nullification, and upset Jackson tremendously. They stated that those tariffs were null and void to South Carolina, and it would be unlawful to collect for duties. They also had the nerve to warn the
South Carolina wanted to nullify a federal law which was refusing to pay federal tariffs and by doing so South Carolina is going against the constitution. Jackson viewed that South Carolina was misusing
South Carolina retaliated against this insulting lack of concern for their voice in U.S. government. South Carolina then opted to act upon the Doctrine of Nullification and they threatened to break away from the union.2 Within this doctrine, South Carolina would preserve the right to null and void a law if they felt it was unconstitutional. South
The Nullification Crisis was a major political crisis that began with the Tariff of Abominations of 1828, which occurred during the presidency of Andrew Jackson involving a conflict with the United States Federal Government and South Carolina. South Carolina felt the Tariff was unconstitutional and
In 1787, the creation of the U.S. Constitution would grant the national government dominance over the states. However, the southerners still felt that they should be able determine whether or not they accepted certain acts, and the idea of nullification was proposed. John C. Calhoun was first to present the states right to nullify, or ignore federal laws in which they disagreed, in his doctrine.[6] Things seemed to have remained calm until the commencement of Lincoln’s presidency when nullification was no longer allowed.