John Calhoun Political Beliefs

John C. Calhoun

John Caldwell Calhoun was an American politician and political theorist during the first half of the 19th century. As an intelligent man he held many political positions from senator to vice president. Calhoun was a major component in the establishment of the Second Bank of the United States, a standing army and navy, and also introduced the idea of a permanent road system. He was also a major influence in starting the war against Britain in the War of 1812. Calhoun was a symbol of the south who championed states’ rights and the institution of slavery which eventually led to the succession from the union igniting the civil war.

After reading brief descriptions of many important people within the years of 1607 to 1865 I decided

Originally, Calhoun’s political views aligned with nationalism ideologies which is the idea of a strong central government. In 1807, Calhoun was elected to South Carolina’s state legislature. Later on he was appointed as a Democratic-Republican in the United States House of Representatives. He held this position until 1807. Calhoun, a planter-statesman and southerner, was entirely for America gaining more land as a nation. He became one of the major war hawks pushing the United States into the War of 1812 against Britain. By 1817 he was elected as Secretary of War under President James Monroe. During that eight year term while holding this position he modernized and organized the war department. In 1824, Calhoun ran for president before withdrawing and then running for vice president instead with Andrew Jackson’s support. In March 1825, John Calhoun won the election for vice presidency and served under John Quincy Adams. In 1828, Andrew Jackson became president and once again Calhoun served as vice president. This is when there was a major turning point in Calhoun’s political ideologies. Contrary to Jackson, he favored northern interests over southern agricultural concerns. Eventually Calhoun decided to resign from his position during Jackson’s second term because he felt that he couldn’t be vocal about his ideas. During this time period is when Calhoun’s theories on

After the War of 1812, Calhoun worked together with other U.S. Congressmen to establish the Second Bank of the United States, a standing army and navy, and also introduced the idea of a permanent road system. In the 1820’s Southerners grew worried that the North was strongly influencing the federal government. The south was anxious that the government would end southern institutions. In 1828, the Tariff of Abominations was passed. The tariff “sought to protect northern and western agricultural products from competition with foreign imports; however, the resulting tax on foreign goods would raise the cost of living in the South and would cut into the profits of New England's industrialists” (http://history.house.gov/HistoricalHighlight/Detail/36974). Calhoun believed that it is unconstitutional to tax imports with the only goal of raising revenue for the nation. Calhoun protested against this tariff was unfair for the South so he drafted a document called the “South Carolina Exposition and Protest’ which expressed his idea of nullification and state’s rights. Eventually a compromise tariff was passed in