South Carolina Nullification Essay Example for Free

South Carolina Nullification Essay Throughout the great American history, Americans have been through a colossal amount of conflicts, and wars. However, they still figured out a way to compromise and accept each other’s differences. As America improves, they gradually lead to a making of a powerful and organized government. Yet in â€Å"South Carolina Ordinance of Nullification† a conflict arises, where South Carolina is furious at the federal government and wants the best for themselves. Like many other states South Carolina is one of which that had its own negative opinions towards the federal government, leading to a larger problem. The document â€Å"South Carolina Ordinance of Nullification† both supports and contradicts American and constitutional principles. In early 1860’s the Civil war took place, against the North and the South parts of America. In the time that was taken to reach the civil war, many small disagreements and arguments took place that eventually led to having an immense war. However, around three decades earlier, South Carolina had been having disagreements with the federal government. On May 19, 1928 the Congress of the United States passed the Tariff of 1828. The tariff was designed to protect industries in the northern United States which were being driven out of business, by low-priced imported goods by putting tax on them. Well it seems as if this was a great idea, until, the south started to feel the effects of it, on their antebellum economy. The south called the tariff of 1828, â€Å"Tariff of Abominations†. â€Å"South Carolina felt that the protective features of tariffs were harmful to them and they also claimed that they were unconstitutional because they favored North over the South. (u-s-history. com)A government should serve their people with equality and liberty. Instead the federal government chose to be unfair and help the north because that’s where they lived. This case continues to go on, as South Carolina and other southern states get more furious and lead on to making a Nullification of crisis. The Nullification of Crisis includes South Carolina’s opinions and how the tariff of 1828 is the opposit e of, liberty and justice for all. Since the federal government had passed a tariff that is unfair to the south, for the good of the North. South Carolina was so furious that they started talking about the seceding from the union and working their own independent state, where they can have their own laws. However, South Carolina believed that constitutionally, the state government of each state had more power within that state than did the federal government. Therefore, if a state considered it necessary, it had the right to nullify any federal law within its boundaries. The idea South Carolina had was injudicious, they thought of themselves as being more powerful than â€Å"The Federal Government†, the main and the most powerful government in America. The idea of a state being more powerful than a federal government does not exist. It doesn’t say anywhere in the constitution that a state could not follow the federal government laws and have more power than them as well. In addition, if South Carolina and other states had more power than the federal government, you wouldn’t need a federal government and there would be no point of having the â€Å"United States of America†. Moreover, when President Andrew Jackson found out about the nullification of tariffs passed by the congress, he declared an act of open rebellion and ordered U. S. ships to South Carolina to enforce the law. â€Å"Before federal forces arrived Calhoun and Senator Henry Clay had an agreement which lead to congress passing out the tariff of 1833. This lowered the tariff gradually over a decade and prevented any armed conflicts. †(. loc. gov) This shows the strength of the federal government over all the states. In conclusion, the â€Å"Ordinance of Nullification† was a document with many personal opinions and conflicts. For example, the federal government wasn’t equal to the south, by letting north have the positive affect of the tariff of 1928 and south have the negative affect. In result south tried to show that they have more power than the federal government by nullifying the tariffs. However all of this ended with an agreement. Throughout most of our history when a conflict derives a compromise is always made. After all, the conflict and work the Americans went through in the past, made an abundant change for us in the future.