- In full:
- An Act in alteration of the several acts imposing duties on imports
- Also called:
- Tariff of Abominations
- Date:
- 1828
- Location:
- United States
- Key People:
- John Quincy Adams
Tariff of 1828
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What is a tariff?
A tariff is a tax imposed on goods as they move across international borders, typically by the importing country's government. Tariffs are debated, with supporters saying they protect domestic industries and critics arguing they distort markets and raise consumer costs.
The Tariff of 1828 aimed to protect growing domestic industries by raising the cost of imports. Northern manufacturers and Western farmers favored it, but Southern cotton plantation owners, who relied on trade with Great Britain, opposed it, fearing retaliatory tariffs on American goods. The tariff led to the Nullification Crisis, as South Carolina tried to declare the tariffs void within the state.
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What was the Tariff of 1828?
The Tariff of 1828 sought to protect growing domestic industries by raising the cost of imported goods, sometimes by as much as 50 percent. This made foreign products less attractive to Americans, giving domestic products an advantage.
Manufacturers in the Middle and Northeastern states, as well as farmers in the Western states, wanted the Tariff of 1828. However, Southern cotton plantation owners, who relied heavily on trade with Great Britain, saw it as an abomination, fearing Britain might impose retaliatory tariffs on American commodities. Later, after Andrew Jackson was elected, the tariff continued so that revenue could go toward the national debt. By 1830, Britain was importing less cotton, which hurt the Southern economy, and Southerners had to buy manufactured goods from the Northeast at higher prices than they had been paying for foreign products.
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Why was the Tariff of 1828 also called the 'Tariff of Abominations'?
The Tariff of 1828 is often called the "Tariff of Abominations" because critics, especially in the Southern states, considered it an abomination. This tariff, designed to protect emerging domestic industries, significantly raised the cost of imported goods, sometimes by as much as 50 percent.
While manufacturers in the Middle and Northeastern states and farmers in the Western states supported the tariff, Southern cotton plantation owners, who relied heavily on trade with Great Britain, opposed it. They feared that Britain might retaliate by imposing similarly high tariffs on American commodities. Southern states hoped that Andrew Jackson's election would change the tariff, but he continued it to pay the national debt.
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How did the Tariff of 1828 affect different regions of the United States?
The Tariff of 1828, dubbed the "Tariff of Abominations" by its critics, deeply affected different regions of the United States. It aimed to protect growing domestic industries by raising the cost of imported goods, which benefited manufacturers in the Middle and Northeastern states, as well as farmers in Western states.
However, the Southern states, heavily reliant on trade with Great Britain, strongly opposed it, fearing retaliatory tariffs on American commodities. They also had to buy manufactured goods from the Northeast at higher prices.
This led South Carolina to consider preventing the tariff from being collected within its boundaries and contributed to the Nullification Crisis.
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What arguments did people in the South make against the Tariff of 1828?
The Tariff of 1828, dubbed the "Tariff of Abominations" by its critics, sparked significant opposition in the Southern states.
Southern cotton plantation owners, who relied heavily on trade with Great Britain, viewed the tariff as detrimental to their economic interests. They feared that Britain might retaliate by imposing similarly high tariffs on American commodities, which would hurt the Southern economy.
The Southern states argued that the tariff was unconstitutional, asserting that it favoured Northern manufacturers at the expense of the Southern agricultural economy. John C. Calhoun anonymously published the "South Carolina Exposition and Protest", which introduced the doctrine of nullification, allowing states to reject federal laws that they deemed unconstitutional. They believed the federal government was overstepping its boundaries and infringing upon states' rights.
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How did the Tariff of 1828 lead to the Nullification Crisis?
The Tariff of 1828, dubbed the "Tariff of Abominations" by Southern critics, significantly raised import costs, aiming to protect U.S. industries. However, it severely impacted the Southern economy, which relied heavily on trade with Britain.
Vice President John C. Calhoun anonymously published the "South Carolina Exposition and Protest," asserting states' rights to reject laws deemed unconstitutional, echoing Thomas Jefferson's doctrine of nullification.
When Congress passed the Tariff Act of 1832, which only slightly reduced rates, South Carolina declared both tariff acts void within its borders, threatening secession. President Jackson responded by requesting congressional authorization to enforce the tariff with military force, leading to the Force Bill and the Compromise Tariff of 1833, which lowered rates. Although South Carolina then repealed its nullification of the tariffs, it nullified the Force Bill as a symbolic gesture.
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Tariff of 1828, restrictive tariff that triggered the Nullification Crisis in the United States in the early 19th century. The Tariff of 1828 was intended to protect burgeoning domestic industries by inflating the cost of imported goods by as much as 50 percent, making Americans less likely to buy foreign products and giving an advantage to their domestic counterparts. The Tariff of 1828 was desired by manufacturers in Middle and Northeastern states, as well as by farmers in Western states. But cotton plantation owners in Southern states, who were heavily dependent upon trade with Great Britain, considered it an abomination, and critics branded it the “Tariff of Abominations.” Southern agricultural producers feared that Britain might impose a similarly steep retaliatory tariff on American commodities.
Article 1, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution grants Congress the “power to lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States.” This would become known as the “spending clause.” The Tariff of 1828 was not the first tariff imposed by Congress; a tariff had been instituted in 1789 and again after the War of 1812, the latter to pay off wartime debts and to protect fledgling American manufacturing industries. The Tariff of 1828 was different, however, because its rates were higher than any previously enacted. For example, the duty on hemp was $35 per ton before the Tariff of 1828; with its passage, the tax increased to $45 per ton and was scheduled to continue to rise incrementally to $60 per ton by 1831. Wool faced a similarly scheduled increase, from 30 to 50 percent by 1830.
States that generally supported the Tariff of 1828 included New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and Kentucky. Southern states nearly unanimously opposed the measure, along with parts of New England, because the act also raised duties on raw materials that New England states needed. Later it was revealed that Southerners had intentionally framed increases on these raw materials to influence New England representatives to vote against the tariff, reasoning that their opposition would cause the bill to fail and result in no increases. Instead the New England vote split, and the tariff passed with close votes of 105–94 in the House and 26–21 in the Senate. The tariff was signed into law by Pres. John Quincy Adams in May.
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Significantly, 1828 was a presidential election year, and incumbent Adams lost to challenger Andrew Jackson, an enslaver and South Carolina native, in a resounding vote. John C. Calhoun, also of South Carolina, became vice president. That year Calhoun anonymously published the “South Carolina Exposition and Protest,” a paper which argued that the federal union was voluntary and that states had the right to reject laws that did not serve their interests. Calhoun’s “Exposition” incorporated Thomas Jefferson’s doctrine of nullification.
Although the Southern states hoped for relief from the Tariff of 1828 and a sea change from the election, Jackson allowed the tariff to continue so that the revenue could be put toward the national debt. By 1830 some of the effects of the tariff were visible: notably, Britain was importing less cotton, hurting the Southern economy. In addition, Southerners now had to purchase their manufactured goods from businesses in the Northeast for higher prices than they had been paying for foreign products. This combination led South Carolina to consider extreme measures, including forcibly preventing the tariff from being collected within its boundaries.
Congress responded to the concerns of Southern states by passing the Tariff Act of 1832, which somewhat reduced the rates. The duty on hemp, for example, was returned to $40 per ton. Southern states were not placated. South Carolina reacted with the Ordinance of Nullification, which voided both tariff acts in the state beginning on February 1, 1833. Representatives of the state made it clear that South Carolina would sooner secede than accept the tariffs. President Jackson responded by requesting permission from Congress to force South Carolina to accept the law, while also asking for a further reduction in tariff rates. On March 1 Congress passed the Force Bill and the Compromise Tariff of 1833. The Force Bill granted the president the authority to collect tariffs by military force if necessary, and the Compromise Tariff substantially reduced the rates of tariffs. South Carolina reversed its nullification of the previous two tariff bills, but it did declare the Force Bill null. This was accepted as a showing of principle, as the state was now in compliance with the Compromise Tariff, and the Force Bill was no longer needed.