How would Clay’s American System with high tariffs on imported goods have benefited the West and South? In simple terms.
Clay's American System with high tariffs on imported goods would have benefited the West and South in simple terms because it would have protected their industries and promoted economic growth.
For the West, the high tariffs would have made imported goods more expensive, making locally-produced goods more competitive. This would have boosted the growth of industries like farming, mining, and manufacturing in the West. It would have encouraged the development of infrastructure, like roads and canals, which would have facilitated the transport of goods and opened up new markets.
Similarly, the South would have benefited from the American System because it would have protected their agriculture-based economy. The high tariffs would have made imported goods, such as textiles, more expensive, ensuring that Southern farmers would have a market for their cotton and other agricultural products. This would have helped maintain and strengthen the agrarian economy of the South.
Overall, Clay's American System with high tariffs would have encouraged the growth of industries in the West and protected the agricultural economy of the South by making imported goods more expensive and promoting local production and economic development.