The Nullification Crisis was a dispute over the power of the states to reject federal laws. It arose in the early 1830s, particularly during the presidency of Andrew Jackson, when the state of South Carolina declared that it would not enforce certain federal tariff laws, which they viewed as unconstitutional and harmful to their economy. South Carolina argued that states had the right to nullify, or invalidate, federal laws that they believed exceeded the powers granted to the federal government by the Constitution.
The crisis highlighted tensions between federal authority and states' rights, and it led to a significant confrontation between the federal government and South Carolina. Ultimately, a compromise was reached, and the tariffs were gradually lowered, but the issue of states' rights versus federal power continued to be a contentious topic in American politics.