Besides Jackson’s autocratic actions regarding the Bank war, Jackson also demonstrated autocratic leadership during the nullification crisis in South Carolina.  In 1824, Congress had increased the general tariff from 23% to 37%, but wool manufacturers still wanted higher tariffs. In 1828, the Jacksonsians (who disliked tariffs) tried to increase duties to as high as 45% on raw materials like wool with the Tariff of 1828 so that even New Englanders would vote against the bill. However, the plan of the Jacksonians backfired as New Englanders passed the law. As a result, the Southerners immediately labeled the new tariff act as the “Tariff of Abominations.” For the most part, the Southerners complained because they sold their cotton and other products without tariffs, while the products that they bought were heavily taxed. The Southerners said all tariffs did for them was raise prices. Unlike the South, the Northeast prospered due to the Tariff of 1828 because it could buy more of the South’s products. South Carolinians reacted very angrily against the tariff because they feared that if Congress was able to pass this tariff act that they would also try to impose the abolition of slavery on them. Thus, in 1828 John C. Calhoun secretly wrote “The South Carolina Exposition,” opposing the recent tariff and advocating the nullification of the tariff by all states. When the South Carolinians attempted to get the necessary two-thirds majority to nullify the tariff in the South Carolina legislature, the Unionists blocked them. In response to the anger towards the “Tariff of Abominations,” Congress passed the Tariff of 1832, which lowered the tariff down to 35%, a reduction of 10%, but many Southerners still hated it. In the elections of 1832, the “Nullies” received a two-thirds majority over the Unionists and declared the Tariff of 1832 to be void within South Carolina’s boundaries. In addition, the Nullies threatened to secede from the Union. During the winter of 1832-1833, the Nullies raised an army to defend its right to nullify federal laws. In response to South Carolina’s raising of an army and its threat of secession, President Jackson “mused about arresting the Southern leaders and then hanging them” (Meacham 2).  President Jackson even “swore to crush any rebellion” (Meacham 2). Jackson’s thoughts of arresting and hanging the South Carolinians, along with crushing their rebellion, clearly illustrate Jackson’s determination to have total authority over them, thus exemplifying Jackson as an autocratic leader. In Jackson’s Proclamation to the People of South Carolina, he writes, “Disunion by armed force is treason” (Meacham 3).  Jackson continues by writing, “Fellow citizens, the momentous case is before you. On your undivided support of your Government depends the decision of the great question it involves – whether your sacred Union will be preserved” (Meacham 3). In response to Jackson’s Proclamation, Governor Hayne issued a counter-proclamation. To compromise, Jackson’s rival, Henry Clay, proposed a compromise bill, the Tariff of 1833 that would gradually reduce the Tariff of 1832 by about 10% over a period of eight years so that by 1842 the rates would be down to 20% to 25%. By a narrow margin, Congress passed the Tariff of 1833. However, to save face, Congress also passed the Force Bill (also known as the “Bloody Bill”) that authorized President Jackson to use the army and navy, if necessary, to collect tariffs (Bailey 275).  Jackson’s ability to authorize the army and navy to collect tariffs in South Carolina and “force” South Carolinians to pay tariffs clearly shows that Jackson was an autocratic leader, willing to use any military force necessary to enforce tariff collections in South Carolina.

P.S.-The Works Cited for this will be located in the last installment of Andrew Jackson: Autocrat or Democrat?