Question

How did John Calhoun react to the tariff of 1828?

Answer 1

John C. Calhoun, who was then serving as Vice President of the United States under President John Quincy Adams, had originally supported protective tariffs, including the Tariff of 1828. However, his position on tariffs began to change as he became increasingly concerned about the negative impact the tariffs were having on the Southern economy.

Calhoun, who was from South Carolina, saw the Tariff of 1828, also known as the "Tariff of Abominations," as an unfair burden on the agricultural South, which relied heavily on imported manufactured goods and exported its own raw materials. He believed that the tariff favored the industrializing North at the expense of the South, creating an economic imbalance.

In response, Calhoun articulated a theory known as nullification, which held that states had the right to nullify or reject federal laws they deemed unconstitutional. This theory was partially outlined in the South Carolina Exposition and Protest, which Calhoun anonymously penned in 1828.

Calhoun's reaction to the Tariff of 1828 was both political and ideological. He saw the tariff as an unconstitutional and unfair measure, believing it violated state sovereignty and protected Northern interests at the expense of Southern states. His opposition to the tariff eventually led him to resign as Vice President in 1832, in order to advocate for nullification and states' rights more effectively in South Carolina's state government.