What was calhouns theory of nullification

Isolated from the other states, South Carolina backed down. The next assertion of states'-rights would be that of the right to secede from the Union, a position that sparked the Civil War. All rights reserved. Feedback Sitemap Help Return to top of page.

The Nullification Crisis Overview What perspectives and arguments developed regarding the theory of nullification? During the nullification crisis of to , South Carolina planter politicians formulated a new brand of slavery-based politics that would culminate in the formation of the southern confederacy. Nullification and secession, according to Calhoun, were the reserved rights of the states and therefore constitutional. The passage of the federal tariff law of signaled the rise of the nullification controversy in South Carolina.

Unlike free traders, who opposed the tariff or protective duties in the interest of all consumers, nullifiers claimed that the tariff hurt the South in particular. And they linked their opposition to the tariff to a proslavery position by arguing that northerners intended to interfere with the institution of slavery by impoverishing the South. Calhoun argued that nullification or state interposition would establish a constitutional precedent that would safeguard the interests of the slaveholding minority in a democratic republic.

Constitution and because it subverted the cardinal principle of republican government, majority rule. Most of the Calhounites had been nationalists in state politics prior to the tariff controversy. Like Calhoun, their politics somersaulted from one of qualified nationalism to unqualified sectionalism.

In order to call a state convention to nullify the federal tariff laws of and , nullifiers launched a campaign that emphasized sectionalism, the defense of slavery, and opposition to majority rule.

Sectional differences and the inability to find a long-term compromise over the issue of slavery and its expansion then erupted into open warfare and tore the Union apart. How would a proponent of state nullification describe the relationship between the states and the federal government? Which group would agree most with the arguments made in the South Carolina Exposition and Protest?

The arguments made by Senator Robert Y. Hayne of South Carolina in his debates with Senator Daniel Webster agree with all the following except. We, therefore, the people of the State of South Carolina, in convention assembled, do declare and ordain and it is hereby declared and ordained, that the several acts and parts of acts of the Congress of the United States, purporting to be laws for the imposing of duties and imposts on the importation of foreign commodities, and now having actual operation and effect within the United States,.

Jackson, Andrew. Exposition and Protest. Twentieth Congress. Twenty-Second Congress. Brands, H. New York: Doubleday, Freehling, William. New York: Harper and Row: Peterson, Merrill D. Olive Branch and Sword: The Compromise of Watson, Harry L.

Second Edition. New York: Hill and Wang: Whittington, Keith. Upcoming Events Explore our upcoming webinars, events and programs. During his war preparations, Jackson engaged in a national public relations campaign to discredit nullification in the mind of the American public. Jackson gave speeches against nullification that vehemently denounced South Carolina and promoted unionism.

Despite his preparations, Jackson did not desire a civil war, but rather hoped the nullifiers would back down against his threats. In response, South Carolinians rescinded their Ordinance of Nullification and the crisis passed. Many parties claimed to be the victor of this crisis, Calhoun and his nullifiers for receiving a tariff reduction, Clay for his compromise that prevailed; however, Jackson remained the true victor as he reaffirmed his executive authority and prevented a potential civil war days before his second inauguration.

Although not the first crisis that dealt with state authority over perceived unconstitutional infringements on its sovereignty, the Nullification Crisis represented a pivotal moment in American history as this is the first time tensions between state and federal authority almost led to a civil war. Ultimately, the spirit of union prevailed, and Americans reached a compromise which avoided war.