Question

President Jackson’s Proclamation Regarding Nullification, 1832
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.
Fellow-citizens of my native State! let me not only admonish you, as the first magistrate of our common country, not to incur the penalty of its laws, but use the influence that a father would over his children whom he saw rushing to a certain ruin. In that paternal language, with that paternal feeling, let me tell you, my countrymen, that you are deluded by men who are either deceived themselves or wish to deceive you. Mark under what pretenses you have been led on to the brink of insurrection and treason on which you stand!

1.Compare Jackson’s stance on nullification to his opinions on national governmental authority.


2. How does Jackson’s statement illustrate how debates over the meaning and interpretation of the Constitution have shaped U.S. politics since 1787?

use simple words and 1-2 sentences

Answer 1

1. Jackson rejects nullification — he says a state cannot cancel a federal law — and so he supports a strong national government and the Constitution's authority over the states.

2. His statement shows that people have long argued about whether the Constitution gives more power to the federal government or to the states, and those arguments have shaped U.S. politics since 1787.