John C Calhoun Analysis

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The United States was undergoing an unstable time period during the nineteenth century, putting the nation in a delicate state. During the Second Party System, Daniel Webster, John C. Calhoun, and Henry Clay were crucial keys in the political movement to retain the Union. The Great Triumvirate, Webster, Calhoun, and Clay, each favored their own region of the United States and acted upon their prejudice as politicians. Nevertheless, these statesmen are famously known for preserving the Union through compromises, debates, and doctrines. Daniel Webster was a talented orator from Massachusetts. He belonged to the short-lived Whig political party, which was formed in opposition to Andrew Jackson’s policies. In many circumstances, Webster endorsed …show more content…
Calhoun from South Carolina was notably different from Daniel Webster. Calhoun was a democrat who eventually became the seventh vice president of the United States. Like Webster, John C. Calhoun favored his section of the country, and his actions reflected his favoritism. Calhoun was an outspoken supporter of the War of 1812, also referred to as “War Hawk”. Calhoun was indignant towards the British for violating maritime rights by imprisoning Americans and wanted the British reprimanded, regardless of the adverse effect it would have on the North. One of John C. Calhoun’s most troubling aspects was his growing support of slavery, a commonly held opinion in the South. What makes John C. Calhoun a nationalist was his disapproval of secession during the Nullification Crisis. The Nullification Crisis was the time period when South Carolina threatened secession due to the Tariff of 1828, which Calhoun opposed. This tariff, nicknamed the “Tariff of Abominations”, increased duty on imported goods, benefitting the North but injuring the South, which believed that the tariff was unconstitutional. John C. Calhoun, hoping to maintain the Union, counseled restraint, offering the Doctrine of Nullification instead. Calhoun argued that the Federal government existed at the will of the states. Once the crisis was avoided, Calhoun attended a banquet with Andrew Jackson, and replied to Jackson’s toast with “Our Union- it must be preserved. The Union- …show more content…
Calhoun, and Henry Clay. Webster and Calhoun eased tensions during the Nullification Crisis, Webster had an approach that favored the North while Calhoun’s strongly supported the South. Lastly, but equally notable, was Clay’s Compromise of 1850 which appeased both the North and the South which in turn forestalled the American Civil War. Each of these skilled politicians set aside their loyalties to their respective sections of the nation in order to protect the