What did South Carolina want to do during the nullification crisis?
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Preserving The UnionFrom the Tariff of Abominations to the Nullification ProclamationResentment from the Tariff of Abominations leads to growing support for nullification.In 1832, the dispute over tariffs and nullification had been brewing for some time. The federal government passed protectionist tariffs on foreign goods to guard emerging industries located primarily in the north. Some of the residents of southern states who sold their cotton on the world market wanted access to foreign goods at lower prices, so they greatly resented these tariffs. The tariff passed in 1828 was particularly odious and became known as the Tariff of Abominations. Support for nullification gained support from this resentment.
Vice President John C. Calhoun is a proponent of nullification.Jackson’s first term Vice President, John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, was the leading proponent of nullification. He had written the South Carolina Exposition and Protest in 1828, which argued strongly against the Tariff of 1828 and proposed nullification—the interpretation of the Constitution that the federal government was formed through a compact of the states and that this gave the individual states authority to nullify laws they saw as unconstitutional—as a solution. The pamphlet was published anonymously although Calhoun’s authorship was generally known. Because of his position as Vice President, he could not publicly support nullification. Jackson Makes His Stance on Nullification KnownJackson had not publicly stated his position, and many thought that, as a Southern cotton planter, he would side with the supporters of nullification.  Preserving the UnionIn April 1830, at a dinner honoring Thomas Jefferson’s birthday, the nullifiers presented multiple lengthy toasts supporting their position. When President Jackson had his turn, he made the simple toast “Our Union, It Must be Preserved.” He had intended to say, “Our Federal Union. . . ,” and that is how the toast is quoted. In this way, Jackson told those who supported nullification that he would not allow the Union to be destroyed. The Nullification Crisis Continues
The Nullification Proclamation states:“I consider, then, the power to annul a law of the United States, assumed by one State, incompatible with the existence of the Union, contradicted expressly by the letter of the Constitution, unauthorized by its spirit, inconsistent with every principle on which It was founded, and destructive of the great object for which it was formed…” Later in the document he makes the stirring statement “Disunion by armed force is TREASON.” Responding to the Nullification ProclamationFormer Senator Hayne, by then the governor of South Carolina, began to organize an armed resistance to the collection of the tariff. Congress passed the Force Bill in early 1833, which allowed the President to send armed troops to enforce tariff collections. At this delicate point, Senators Henry Clay, Daniel Webster and John C. Calhoun negotiated a compromise Tariff of 1833 which allowed both sides to back down. South Carolina repealed its Ordinance of Nullification. The Nullification Crisis & The Civil WarJackson’s handling of the Nullification Crisis influenced President Abraham Lincoln as he faced the Civil War. Jackson commented on the crisis to his cousin Andrew J. Crawford in May 1833: “I have had a laborious task here—but nullification is dead, and its actors & exciters will only be remembered by the people to be execrated for their wicked designs to sever & destroy the only good government on the Globe, and that prosperity and happiness we enjoy over every other portion of the world.” It is interesting to note that a copy of this letter was given to Abraham Lincoln. Nullification Crisis FAQsWhat is nullification?Nullification is the authority for individual states to nullify federal laws they find unconstitutional within their borders. Nullification gathered great support in the southern states in the early 19th century. How did the Nullification Crisis end?Senators Henry Clay, Daniel Webster and John C. Calhoun negotiated the Compromise Tariff of 1833 which lowered tariffs gradually over a period of ten years. South Carolina repealed its Ordinance of Nullification and accepted the Compromise Tariff of 1833. Why did the Nullification Crisis happen?The Nullification Crisis was a result of southern states resistance to imposed, protective tariffs on foreign goods to guard emerging industries. Southern states viewed these tariffs as “unconstitutional”. When John C. Calhoun anonymously published the South Carolina Exposition and Protest, he argued strongly against the Tariff of 1828 and proposed nullification. What is the significance of the Nullification Crisis?The Nullification Crisis was the first time that friction between state and federal authority began to create enough tension that it almost led to a civil war. Andrew Jackson’s leadership in this crisis forestalled succession by nearly 30 years. Did Andrew Jackson support nullification?No, he did not. Andrew Jackson, generally in favor of states’ rights, saw nullification as a threat to the Union. In his view, the federal government derived its power from the people, not from the states, and the federal laws had greater authority than those of the individual states. How did Jackson respond to the Nullification Crisis?Andrew Jackson responded to the Nullification Crisis by issuing the Nullification Proclamation on December 10, 1832. Discover more about Andrew Jackson’s presidency.What was the nullification crisis think South Carolina?In November 1832, the Nullification Convention met. The convention declared the tariffs of 1828 and 1832 unconstitutional and unenforceable within the state of South Carolina after February 1, 1833. It was asserted that attempts to use force to collect the taxes would lead to the state's secession.
Why did South Carolina want to nullify the tariff laws?Calhoun, Andrew Jackson's Vice President, “nullifiers” in the South Carolina convention declared that the tariff acts of 1828 and 1832 were unconstitutional and should be nullified. South Carolina representatives believed that these tariffs favored the North and created an undue economic strain on the South.
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