1. Economic Impact:
- The tariff imposed high duties on imported manufactured goods, making them more expensive for Southerners to purchase. This increased the cost of living and reduced the purchasing power of Southern consumers.
- The tariff favored Northern industries, particularly textile and iron manufacturing, providing them with an unfair advantage over Southern agricultural products.
- Southern planters, who relied on exports of cotton and tobacco to Europe, faced increased competition from European manufacturers due to the tariff's impact on trade relations.
2. Political Discontent:
- The South perceived the tariff as a politically motivated move by the Northern-dominated Congress to benefit their own economic interests at the expense of the Southern economy.
- Southern politicians, including prominent statesmen like John C. Calhoun, denounced the tariff as unconstitutional and a violation of states' rights.
3. Nullification Crisis:
- In response to the tariff, South Carolina, a leading producer of cotton, took a radical stance by passing the Nullification Ordinance of 1832. This ordinance declared the federal tariff null and void within the state's borders.
- The Nullification Crisis brought the country to the brink of civil conflict as President Andrew Jackson threatened to use military force to enforce the federal law.
4. Compromise of 1833:
- To defuse the crisis, Congress passed the Compromise Tariff of 1833, which gradually reduced the tariff rates over several years.
- Although the compromise brought temporary relief, the underlying tensions between the North and South over tariffs and other economic policies remained unresolved.
In summary, the South reacted to the Tariff of 1832 with economic distress, political discontent, and a willingness to challenge federal authority. The tariff intensified sectional divisions and contributed to the growing rift between the Northern and Southern states, setting the stage for future conflicts, including the American Civil War.