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The Tariff of Abominations
In 1828, Congress passed the Tariff of Abominations, a protective tariff that heavily taxed imported goods. This tariff disproportionately affected Southern states, which relied heavily on imported goods and felt it favored Northern industrial interests. -
South Carolina Exposition and Protest
South Carolina, under the leadership of John C. Calhoun, issued the South Carolina Exposition and Protest, which argued that states had the right to nullify federal laws they considered unconstitutional. This document marked the beginning of the Nullification Crisis. -
The Webster-Hayne Debate
A famous Senate debate between Daniel Webster and Robert Hayne took place. Webster vehemently opposed nullification, asserting that the Union was indivisible, while Hayne defended the right of states to nullify federal laws. -
The Nullification Ordinance
In November 1832, South Carolina's state legislature passed the Nullification Ordinance, declaring the Tariffs of 1828 and 1832 null and void within the state's borders and threatening secession if federal authorities attempted to collect the tariffs. -
The Force Bill
In response to South Carolina's nullification, President Andrew Jackson pushed Congress to pass the Force Bill, which authorized the use of military force to collect federal tariffs in South Carolina if necessary. -
The Compromise Tariff
Henry Clay proposed a compromise tariff that gradually reduced tariff rates, addressing some of the concerns of the South. South Carolina, in response, repealed its nullification ordinance. This resolution marked the end of the Nullification Crisis. -
The Nullification Doctrine Fades
With the Compromise Tariff and the end of the crisis, the nullification doctrine as a serious threat to the Union waned. However, underlying tensions between states' rights and federal authority would continue to simmer in American politics.