JOHN C. CALHOUN AND THE NULLIFICATION CRISIS

What can a state do if they recognized that an action of the national government exceeded the powers delegated by the states to the national government?

- A state could interpose its own authority between the national government and the state's citizens to negate the national action - The state's voters could elect delegates to a state nullification convention which would have the power to declare an act of the national government null and void and of no effect within that state's borders

What happened if the people formed the national government?

- An agency of that government itself (such as the Supreme Court) would have to determine the extent of its authority.

What was the reason caused Nullification Crisis?

- Congress passed a protective tariff law known as Tariff of Abominations. - John C. Calhoun argued that the federal tariff could be declared null and void and its enforcement prohibited by individual states.

How did the Congress respond to the nullification crisis and what was the result?

- Congress passed both a Force Act and a compromise tariff in 1833. - South Carolina nullified the Force Act, but by accepting the tariff, averted conflict with the federal government. - South Carolina backed down because no other southern states supported South Carolina and because many people in South Carolina did not support revolution.

John C. Calhoun (1782-1850)

- During the 1820s, became increasingly concerned for the defense of slavery and the way of life slavery defined - Believed that the South would become an increasingly less-powerful influence on the national government => Only a states-rights defense could defend "the southern way of life."

What happened if the people individually contracted to form the national government?

- Each could individually withdraw from the contract. - The people as a whole would have to have an agency that derived its power from the people to determine the extent of national power.

Doctrine of Nullification

- In response to the Tariff of Abominations, Calhoun outlined a plan for the minority views of the South to be protected from laws passed by the majority. => "Doctrine of nullification" or "state interposition"

How did Andrew Jackson respond to South Carolina?

- Jackson responded with a declaration that upheld the constitutionality of the tariff, denied the power of an individual state to block enforcement of a federal law, and threatened armed intervention to collect duties. - Threaten military force to enforce national law

Summary

- John C. Calhoun concerned that industrializing in the North and West would make the South became less powerful on the national government. - The Tariff of Abominations (protective tariff: tax more on imported goods to protect infant industries) made Southerners mad. - In response to this, John C. Calhoun created the doctrine of nullification which was a plan for the minority views of the South to be protected from laws passed by the majority. - However, instead, the states had formed a compact, granting the national government limited powers while a state can still interpose its own authority between the national gov and the citizens. - Calhoun's system would give each state veto power over the federal legislation, while retaining the right of secession (secession means withdraw formally from membership of a body). => This is bad because then every state can declare an action null and have no effect within the state. + Nullification Crisis: - John C. Calhoun declared that the protective tariff null and void. - Andrew Jackson promised a tariff revision, which was not much different. - South Carolina called a convention that passed Ordinance of Nullification forbidding collection of tariff. - Jackson denied the power of a state to block enforcement of a federal law and threaten to use military force. - At the end, Congress passed both a Force Act and a compromise tariff in 1833.

Why were Southerners against the Tariff of Abominations?

- Most Southerners were consumers of manufactured goods and had little industry. - Tariffs made them pay more for manufactured goods (in effect a tax) to subsidize northern industrialization.

What did Andrew Jackson do to defused the conflict?

- Promised tariff revision (known as Tariff Act of 1832) temporarily defused the conflict. - It was not much different which lead to South Carolina immediately calling a convention that passed an Ordinance of Nullification forbidding collection of tariff duties in the state.

What happened if the states formed the national compact?

- Some agency of each individual state (such as a Nullification Convention) would have to determine the extent of national power.

Evaluation of the nullification theory

- The question of sovereignty had the power to destroy the effort of the writers of the Constitution to create a union - Preamble begins, "We the people . . . ." but the ratification process was by states (the voters elected ratification conventions) - Ultimately, the founders created a government that recognized the people's sovereignty (the House of Representatives) and the states' sovereignty (the Senate) => Resulting from the Great Compromise. - Sovereignty had to reside with one or the other - it could not reside with both.

How did the national government response to his plan?

- The states had formed a compact (confederation), granting the national government limited powers. - Only the states could determine if the national government had broken its compact (contract) with the states.

How would Calhoun's system affect the government?

Calhoun's system would give each state veto power over federal legislation, while retaining the right of secession.

Did the states form a compact among themselves to create the national union?

Or did the people themselves join together to form the national government?