Tariff of 1832

There are times when you have to take steps towards rectifying what you had done earlier. Even the greatest of personalities have had to do that and even those governing nations have had to that. Allow me to give you an example from American history. First there was the tariff of 1828, which was the Tariff of Abominations as it was called, by the Southerners, which was a protectionist tariff, meant to protect the industry in the then northern part of the USA. Now as the Southerners were not happy with this and felt exploited and not being treated with just practices, they opposed this. Ultimately the Tariff of 1832 was passed as a remedy to the tariff of 1828. So you see, to make amends for what happened after the 1828 debacle, the 1832 bill was passed. Taking this further, this article will deal with the Tariff of 1832.

What Was the Tariff of 1832?

Enacted on July 14, 1832, this was referred to as a protectionist tariff in the United states. The purpose of this tariff was to act as remedy for the conflict created by the Tariff of 1828. Mainly, the protective Tariff of 1828 was created in such a way that it intended to protect the industry in the north. So the Tariff of 1828 was also called the Tariff of Abominations by Southern states as it seemed unfair on the part of the government to favor the North by sidelining the south. As compared to the hype created about the protective Tariff of 1832., it proved to be a far cry from fulfilling the demands of the south. Its predecessor pushed the duties on citizens which were as high as 45 percent on the value of specific manufactured goods, while 1832 act bought it down to 35%. For instance, the duty on hemp, which had been $60 a ton in 1828, was reduced to a duty of $40, as a result of compromise. Even then southerners were not happy with it. Eventually, their unrest and dissatisfaction was what led to the nullification crisis. Along with that, another bill was passed, Tariff of 1833.

Tariff of 1832 and Nullification Crisis

As mentioned earlier, the southern states were not happy even after the 1832 happening. As a result, in 1832, a sectional crisis, called nullification crisis happened during the presidency of Andrew Jackson. South Carolina's Ordinance of nullification. As per the ordinance, it was by the power of the state, the Federal Tariffs of 1828 and 1832 were declared unconstitutional in November 1832. As a result they were null and void within the 'sovereign' boundaries of South Carolina, because the reductions provided for in the Tariff of 1832, were too less for South Carolina. Due to the precarious economic situation during the 1820's, South carolina was the state which had particularly borne the brunt of the economic down turn. The result was that by 1828, the politics of South Carolina increasingly revolved around the issue of tariffs. In Washington, the president and the vice president themselves differed on the issue John Calhoun, the vice president later quit his office to defend the nullification process. In 1833, a bill authorizing the president for usage of military forces against South Carolina was passed as a preemptive measure. Consequently, negotiations led to a tariff satisfactory to South Carolina being passed. Finally, South Carolina repealed its Nullification Ordinance in 1833 on March 11.

This was the summary of the Tariff of 1832, with its significant aspects. It seemed as if it was the start of a long drawn animosity between the North and the South. I sign off here!