States' Rights and Nullification

In 1828 a protective tariff on imported goods was enacted. The southerners disapproved because it made the cost of goods not made in the US higher. John C Calhoun from South Carolina declared that states had the right to nullify federal law. The tension rose and almost started a war and even though no war started, the tensions remained dangerously high. Eventually a new tariff was enacted that decreased the cost of imported goods. After this, the importance of states’ rights had never been higher.