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Tariff of Abominations
The tariff raised taxes on important manufactures to reduce foreign competition with American manufacturing. Southerns, who argued that the tariff was aimed towards helping the Northern manufacturing industry, began to call the Tariff of 1828 the Tariff of Abominations. -
John C. Calhoun
Jackson's vice president, John Calhoun, opposed the tariff of 1828. During the war of 1812, he had been a strong nationalist. But his opinions later changed during the Mississippi controversy of 1819, convincing him that the future of slavery required a stronger defense of states's rights. He began the concept of nullification, which meant states could nullify, or void, any federal law deemed unconstitutional. -
Jackson becomes President
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South Carolina Threatens Secession
South Carolina legislature nullified the protective tariff and prohibited any collecting of federal tariff duties in the state. The state threatened to secede from the Union if the federal government employed force against the state. -
Webster Defends the Union
Webster led the way in pushing for a passage of Force Bill, giving Jackson the authority to use troops to enforce federal in South Carolina. -
The Crisis Avoided
Congress reduced the tariff, also reducing South Carolina's militancy. A special convention suspended the states's ordinance of nullification. The convention made a political statement by nullifying the now unnecessary Force Bill. -
Compromise Tariff of 1833
Henry Clay helped create a compromise bill that would slowly lower tariffs over the next decade. The Tariff was eventually accepted by South Carolina and marked the end of the Nullification Crisis.