Nullification Crisis: Ordinance, Jackson's response, Calhoun's resignation
- When
- 1832
- Where
- Columbia, South Carolina; Washington, D.C.
- Episodes
- 3
The Nullification Crisis involved a confrontation between South Carolina and the federal government in 1832. South Carolina declared the Tariffs of 1828 and 1832 null and void, prompting President Andrew Jackson to threaten military enforcement. Vice President John C. Calhoun resigned to defend nullification in the Senate, marking the first such resignation.
Episodes
- Ordinance of Nullification
South Carolina's state convention declared the Tariffs of 1828 and 1832 null and void, setting a deadline for enforcement.
- Calhoun's Resignation
John C. Calhoun resigned as Vice President to become a Senator, allowing him to defend nullification in Senate debates.
- Jackson's Proclamation
President Jackson issued a proclamation threatening military force to enforce the tariffs in South Carolina.
Background and detail
Background. The crisis arose from South Carolina's belief that the Tariffs of 1828 and 1832 favored the North and violated the Constitution. The state convention, mobilized by nullification proponents, adopted the Ordinance of Nullification on November 24, 1832, declaring the tariffs unenforceable within the state after February 1, 1833.
Federal Response. President Andrew Jackson responded to the Ordinance with a proclamation on December 10, 1832, threatening to send government troops to enforce the tariffs. Jackson maintained that nullification was unconstitutional, despite his general support for states' rights, and recommended conciliation while upholding federal authority.
Calhoun's Resignation. John C. Calhoun resigned as Vice President in late 1832 to take a Senate seat, allowing him to more effectively defend nullification. This resignation, occurring after the Nullification Convention passed the ordinance, came as he sought to represent South Carolina's interests in the Senate debates.
People involved
- Andrew Jackson · President of the United States
- John C. Calhoun · Vice President of the United States
Sources
- Nullification crisis Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-08
- Ordinance of Nullification Wikipedia, revision of 2026-01-16
- John C. Calhoun Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-17
- Andrew Jackson Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-30
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.