Nullification Crisis

The Nullification Crisis was an 1832–1833 confrontation in which South Carolina rejected federal tariffs as unconstitutional, and President Andrew Jackson threatened force before Congress enacted a compromise tariff.

Ordinance of Nullification: A South Carolina convention's 1832 declaration that federal tariffs of 1828 and 1832 were void in the state. It gave the state's nullification claim legal form and set a deadline for resisting federal collection.
Tariff of 1828: A protective tariff that raised duties on many imported goods and became known by opponents as the Tariff of Abominations. South Carolina's opposition to its duties began the political dispute.
Andrew Jackson: The seventh president of the United States, serving from 1829 to 1837. He defended federal authority, issued a warning to South Carolina, and prepared to enforce tariff collection.
Federal supremacy: The principle that valid federal law takes precedence over conflicting state law. Jackson's position rested on federal authority prevailing over South Carolina's ordinance.
United States tariff policy: The laws and political choices governing taxes on goods imported into the United States. The compromise changed tariff rates while leaving the national dispute over protection unresolved.
Force Bill: An 1833 federal law authorizing President Andrew Jackson to use military force to enforce customs duties. Congress passed it to back federal tariff collection after South Carolina's ordinance.
Tariff of 1832: A tariff law that lowered some duties from 1828 levels but retained protection for many industries. South Carolina argued that the revised duties still violated its constitutional rights.
Henry Clay: A Kentucky statesman who served as Speaker of the House, senator, and secretary of state. He negotiated the tariff reduction that helped defuse the confrontation.
Compact theory: The constitutional theory that the United States was formed by an agreement among sovereign states. South Carolina invoked this theory to argue that states could judge federal overreach.
Nullification: The claimed power of a state to declare a federal law invalid within its boundaries. The crisis made this constitutional doctrine a direct test of federal authority.

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