Dbq John C Calhoun

1/ John C. Calhoun, Democratic senator of South Carolina was one of the fair congressmen of the United States. During his time serving in congress Calhoun proved himself to be an effective orator who worked to promote the economic interests of his constituents. He was even made Chairman of the Committee of Foreign Affairs by Henry Clay. Known as the “Great Nullificator,” Calhoun worked to guide the senate towards a revised version of the Tariff of 1828 and 1832. In the Ordinance of Nullification, South Carolina declared that the Tariff was nullified within its borders. It had seen the tariff as unconstitutional and threatened to secede from the Union if they were continued to be forced to pay the tariff. As a result and with the help

Clay proved his greatness through his effective oratory skills which he utilized for the benefit of the entire nation. In his earlier years in Congress, Clay was the leader of the War Hawks, a group of senators who strongly pushed for the War of 1812. Although the war was expensive, as a result of the war the United States experienced a new and improved feeling of nationalism as it proved its strength and the decline in trade with Britain forced the United States to start advancing in manufacturing. After the war, Clay introduced his American System which would benefit the entire nation as a whole. The system consisted of three parts: a tariff to promote American manufacturing which found light during the war, a national bank, and the use of land sales and other taxes for internal improvements such as roads and canals. Nicknamed “The Great Compromiser” and “The Great Pacificator,” Clay displayed his love for the union through his works on the Missouri Compromise of 1820, the Tariff of 1833 in the South Carolina Nullification Crisis and the Compromise of 1850 all of which prevented and saved the union from secession for the time being. In Clay’s great Compromise Speech, he spoke of the differences and hatred between the North and the South saying, “Let us sacrifice these feelings...that we will preserve her union.”

The most infamous crisis that Henry Clay was a part of was his “Corrupt Bargain” with presidential candidate John Quincy Adams. There had not been a majority vote in the electoral college during the election of 1824 so the vote between Adams and Jackson went to the House. As Speaker of the House and as one of the four presidential candidates, Clay struck a deal with Adams. Clay secured the presidency for Adams and in return, Adams appointed Clay as his Secretary of State. The deal was immediately denounced by Jacksonians. On the slavery issue, Clay was neither for one side nor in between. Clay denounced slavery, calling it “this great evil...the darkest spot in the map of our country” yet owned nearly sixty of them. Clay also showed a tendency to always meet halfway on the slavery issue. The Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850 led to criticism from both North and South. Henry Clay also had a sobriety issue as he tended to indulge in alcohol and gambling. Clay was a great Congressman yet fell short of his