U.S. History 1301
December 1, 2014
The Tariff of 1828
The Tariff of 1828, also known as the Tariff of Abominations, was the cause of major controversy in the United States. The increasingly powerful government required higher revenues and higher duties, which led to the Tariff of 1828 (Carnes and Garraty p. 193). This tariff was passed on May 19, 1828 with the goal of protecting industries in the north that were being hurt by low-priced imported goods (Tariff of 1828). President John Quincy Adams passed the bill which sealed his loss to Andrew Jackson in the presidential election of in 1828 (The Tariff of Abominations | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives). While this tariff helped the North, it severely hurt …show more content…
He believed that the people of a state or several states, acting in a democratically elected convention, had the retained power to veto any act of the federal government which violated the Constitution and explained that in The South Carolina Exposition and Protest, “If it be conceded, as it must be by every one who is the least conversant with our institutions, that the sovereign powers delegated are divided between the General and State Governments, and that the latter hold their portion by the same tenure as the former, it would seem impossible to deny to the States the right of deciding on the infractions of their powers, and the proper remedy to be applied for their correction. The right of judging, in such cases, is an essential attribute of sovereignty, of which the States cannot be divested without losing their sovereignty itself, and being …show more content…
Much of the tariff revenue collected from Southern consumers was used to build railroads and canals in the North (Marotta & Russell, 2013). Between 1830 and 1850, 30,000 miles of track was laid. At its best, these tracks benefited the North. (Marotta and Russell). Those in Western states and manufacturers in the Mid-Atlantic States argued that strengthening the industrial capacity of the nation was in the interest of the entire country (Tariff of 1828). Some New England Congressmen saw what they believed to be long-term national benefits of an increased tariff, and voted for it; they believed the tariff would strengthen the manufacturing industry nationally (Tariff of 1828). The benefits that came from this tariff for the nation overpowered the fact that one section of the nation was receiving no profit from this