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tarrifs in the 1800s


            The debate over whether the institution of slavery should come to an end was not the only divisive to conflict America. Tariffs and states right to nullify acts of congress, nearly brought the country to a secession and the possibility of a civil war. These tariffs were detested by many southerners felt that they were being "left out in the cold." Although the tariffs on Great Britain's goods had negative impacts they also had positive aspects throughout the United States.
             The tariff of 1812, which was proposed by James Madison, was one of the first taxes to be placed upon foreign goods. Originally this tariff was to help pay for internal improvements, such as roads, canals, and lighthouses. Tariffs continuously affected the southern states negatively. The south was not dependent on manufacturing as the northern states were, causing the south to become not as eager to tax European imports. These formations of tariffs began to increase the need for slaves in the south, who depended more and more on slavery agriculturally as the tariffs created additional competition for money. Slavery became such a problematic issue that the legislature created the gag rule, which was a rule created to lessen the time spent discussing or debating on the issue of slavery. Another tariff was placed on Great Britain's goods in 1828. Jackson's vice-president, John C. Calhoun, called the 1828 tariff a Tariff of Abominations, a "disgusting and loathsome" tariff. As an agricultural region dependant on cotton, the south had to compete in the world market. Yet the high tariffs reduced exports to the U.S., and Britain began to buy less cotton. The south thought that the North was getting rich at the expense of the South. The South became fed up with this unfair treatment and threatened to secede from the Union. This threat angered President Jackson, who had proposed the Force Bill. This was a bill that gave permission to Jackson to use troops if necessary against the South.


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