Why did southerners resist the increased tariff in 1828 arguing it should be nullified
The increased tariff in 1828, also known as the Tariff of Abominations, imposed higher import taxes on a wide range of goods, including manufactured goods from Europe. Southerners, particularly those from agricultural states, resented this tariff for several reasons:
1. Economic Impact: The South heavily relied on imported goods and was predominantly agricultural, with little industrial development. The increased tariff made imported goods more expensive, thus hurting southern farmers and plantation owners who needed these goods for their work. It also made it harder for the South to export agricultural products, as foreign countries retaliated with their tariffs, limiting southern access to global markets.
2. Regional Inequality: The tariff was seen as benefiting the northern states, which had a more diversified economy and were engaged in manufacturing, while unfairly burdening the predominantly agricultural South. Southerners believed that the government was favoring the industrial North over their interests.
3. Sectional Tensions: The tariff issue intensified existing sectional tensions between the North and the South. Southerners felt that the northern interests were dominating national politics, and they saw this tariff as yet another example of the North's dominance over the federal government. This led to a sense of alienation and increased calls for states' rights.
Due to these reasons, southern states, particularly South Carolina under the leadership of John C. Calhoun, argued for the nullification of the tariff. They believed that individual states had the right to declare federal laws null and void within their borders if they found them unconstitutional. This resistance ultimately led to a major constitutional and political crisis, known as the Nullification Crisis, which was resolved through a compromise tariff in 1833.