Summary: This interactive lesson examines the Tariffs of 1828 and 1832, John C. Calhoun’s South Carolina Exposition and Protest, President Andrew Jackson’s Nullification Proclamation and Daniel Webster’s 1830 Senate speech. Students will identify the distinct economies of the North and the South; explain the relationship between the economies and respective positions on tariffs; analyze the issue of sovereignty between nationalists and states’ rights advocates; articulate the key events of the Nullification Crisis and evaluate the significance of this event in US history; and identify key concepts from American civics and the Constitution such as sovereignty, the "necessary and proper clause," the three-fifths clause, powers under Article I, Section 8, and others within the readings.
Overarching Questions:
- CIVICS: How well does the government balance individual rights and the common good, including the need to maintain order, safety and a healthy environment, during this time period?
- CIVICS: Have individuals and groups influenced public policy during this time period? If so, how and what has been the impact?
- ECONOMICS: What is the proper role of government in the economy? (Especially with regard to economic crises, national defense/security, health and safety of the people, and economic development and practices.
NJ Student Learning Standards for Social Studies:
- 6.1.12.HistoryCA.3.a: Use evidence to demonstrate how states' rights (i.e Nullification) and sectional interests influenced party politics and shaped national policies (i.e., the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850).
Links to Lesson: The Nullification Crisis | Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History