Why did John C Calhoun write the nullification of tariffs by South Carolina?

Answer 1

John C. Calhoun supported the Tariff of 1816 because he thought the South would become a manufacturing center. Calhoun held several prominent positions throughout his career, including Vice President of the United States.

Answer 2

John C calhoun changed his mind because after the war of 1812, America was in serious debt. They decided to solve this problem by ennacting a series of tariffs in 1816 and 1820. These tariffs protected the northern states' manufactured products from international competition within the US. Many even blamed the south's depression on the tariffs because they believed that the tariffs reduced European consumption of cotton. These tariffs clearly favored the North (Niven 129).Calhoun was undaunted by the negative opinions of the South towards the tariffs. Even as a representative of South Carolina he favored the Tariff of 1816 because it would give the country more money for internal development and would also encourage a more viable manufacturing sector, which in turn would be better for the Union. Later on, Calhoun was ineffectual in opposing the tariff of 1820 and may have even secretly supported it. The reason for this was that Calhoun still thought that the tariff was for the revenue of the federal govt, and not for the sole purpose of promoting the agenda of one section, the north, over another's, the south. Calhoun was still a nationalist and supported these tariffs because they were for the good of the union (Bartlett 139-141).

However, after more tariffs were added in 1824 and 1828, Calhoun changed his outlook on tariffs. During the late 1820's, the price of cotton barely covered the price of making it, crippling the south. Yet, tariffs which favored the north were still being enforced. Calhoun, who was now Vice President, went so far as to call the tariff of 1828 the "tariff of abomination". He also felt that the tariff favored industrialization, and was therefore trying to get the south to stop slavery. Calhoun felt that if this happened it would lead to two undesirable circumstances. Firstly, the south would lose it's most sacred institution, slavery, and with it, it's great traditions and gentlemanly manners. Secondly, Calhoun contested that there always must be a working class and an aristocratic class. If slavery were abolished, whites would be forced into that working class, at low pay. This would in effect take away the "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" that all white men now enjoyed. Although this may seem like an extremely racist point of view, at that time it was commonly accepted that blacks were inferior to whites (Niven 136, 218, 228). This caused Calhoun to write his famous document The South Carolina Exposition and Protest. In this paper he stated that the tariff of 1828 favored the north over the south and was not for the sole purpose of revenue. Therefore in his mind it was unconstitutional. He exclaimed "Irresponsible power is inconsistent with liberty" (Niven 159). His answer to this problem was to give each state the power of nullification, or the power to veto a federal law, and in that manner check the power of the federal government (Bartlett 148).

Answer 3

Helped the North at the expense of the South.

Answer 4

John C. Calhoun accepted the Tariff of 1816 because he thought the South would become a major manufacturing area. John C. Calhoun was also the Vice President of the United States.

Answer 5

Because they protected Northern manufacturing industry, but they penalised the South, which had no factories and needed many imports.

Answer 6

John C. Calhoun's argument was that states should be able to nullify Federal Laws if those states believed that the laws were unconstitutional.

Answer 7

Because he thought it was unfair.