Compromise Tariff of 1833

Definition

The Compromise Tariff of 1833 was a piece of legislation that aimed to resolve the Nullification Crisis, a conflict between the federal government and the state of South Carolina over high protective tariffs. The compromise gradually reduced tariff rates over a 10-year period, defusing the tension between the two sides.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Compromise Tariff of 1833 was proposed by Henry Clay as a way to resolve the Nullification Crisis between the federal government and South Carolina.
2. It gradually reduced high protective tariff rates over a 10-year period, from 1833 to 1842, to appease South Carolina's demands.
3. The compromise prevented South Carolina from seceding from the Union, which would have escalated the crisis into potential civil war.
4. It was seen as a victory for both the federal government, which maintained its authority, and South Carolina, which got the tariff rates reduced.
5. The Compromise Tariff of 1833 was an important precursor to the later Tariff of Abominations and the rise of sectionalism leading up to the Civil War.

Review Questions

• Explain how the Compromise Tariff of 1833 was intended to resolve the Nullification Crisis.
  • The Compromise Tariff of 1833 was designed to defuse the Nullification Crisis by gradually reducing high protective tariff rates over a 10-year period. This addressed South Carolina's main grievance against the federal government's tariff policies, which the state had threatened to nullify and even secede over. By compromising on the tariff issue, the legislation prevented the crisis from escalating into potential civil war, preserving the Union while also giving South Carolina a political victory.
• Analyze the long-term implications of the Compromise Tariff of 1833 in the context of growing sectionalism leading up to the Civil War.
  • While the Compromise Tariff of 1833 resolved the immediate Nullification Crisis, it also set the stage for future conflicts over tariffs and states' rights. The gradual reduction of tariff rates over 10 years was seen as a victory for the South, emboldening the region's stance against federal authority. This contributed to the rise of sectionalism and the growing divide between the North and South in the decades leading up to the Civil War. The Compromise Tariff demonstrated the federal government's willingness to concede to Southern demands, foreshadowing the sectional tensions that would ultimately culminate in the war.
• Evaluate the Compromise Tariff of 1833 as a long-term solution to the conflicts between the federal government and Southern states over economic policies.
  • The Compromise Tariff of 1833 was not a lasting solution to the underlying tensions between the federal government and the South over economic issues like tariffs and states' rights. While it resolved the immediate Nullification Crisis, the compromise merely postponed further conflicts. The gradual reduction of tariff rates over 10 years was seen as a victory for the South, emboldening the region's resistance to federal authority and contributing to the rise of sectionalism in the following decades. Ultimately, the Compromise Tariff of 1833 was a temporary fix that failed to address the deeper ideological divides between the North and South, setting the stage for the sectional conflicts that would culminate in the Civil War. The compromise demonstrated the federal government's willingness to concede to Southern demands, foreshadowing the limited effectiveness of future attempts to resolve the growing sectional divide through legislative compromise.

Related terms

Nullification Crisis: A political crisis in the 1830s where South Carolina threatened to secede from the Union in response to high protective tariffs imposed by the federal government.

Protective Tariff: A tariff imposed on imported goods to make domestic products more competitive and protect domestic industries.

Secession: The formal withdrawal of a state from the United States, an action threatened by South Carolina during the Nullification Crisis.