Why did Southerners resist the increased tariff in 1828 arguing it should be nullified
Southerners resisted the increased tariff in 1828, known as the Tariff of Abominations, and argued for its nullification due to several reasons:
1. Economic Impact: The tariff disproportionately affected the Southern agricultural economy as it primarily benefited Northern manufacturers. Southern states were dependent on exporting cash crops like cotton, tobacco, and rice to Europe, and the higher tariff made it difficult for them to sell their products abroad. Additionally, the tariff increased the price of imported goods that the South heavily relied on, such as manufactured goods and textiles.
2. Agrarian vs Industrial Divide: The South had an agricultural-based economy, relying on slave labor and exporting raw materials, while the North was becoming increasingly industrialized. Southerners feared that the increased tariff was favoring Northern industries, further widening the economic gap and threatening their way of life.
3. Sectional Tensions: Tariffs had been a source of tension between the North and the South since the early years of the republic. Southerners believed that the federal government was pursuing policies that favored Northern interests at the expense of the South. They saw the increased tariff as yet another example of this sectional favoritism, leading them to demand its nullification.
4. States' Rights: Opposition to the tariff was tied to the idea of states' rights, a prominent belief among Southerners. The concept of nullification, championed by South Carolina senator John C. Calhoun, argued that states had the right to reject or nullify federal laws they deemed unconstitutional. Southerners saw the tariff as an unconstitutional violation of their states' rights and believed in the importance of resisting federal overreach.
Overall, the resistance to the increased tariff in 1828 and the call for nullification by Southerners were driven by economic concerns, the widening agrarian-industrial divide, perceived sectional bias, and the principle of states' rights. These factors laid the groundwork for later debates and tensions that would eventually lead to the secession and the American Civil War.