John C. Calhoun

Presidency

 * John C. Calhoun would become the sitting President after the assassination of John Quincy Adams.
 * Calhoun, a strong defender of slavery, would fight for the states' rights to keep slavery legal.John_C_Calhoun_by_Mathew_Brady,_1849.jpg
 * Calhoun was a nationalist though, and while he defended the south's right to slavery, his other actions would deeply anger the south.
 * Calhoun would essentially be the opposite of what the people in the south wanted, he instituted protective tarriffs and made the central government even stronger.
 * In 1830, there would be a major shift in his policies.
 * Calhoun went from a supporter of strong government, to one of limited government.
 * With seccession threatening the Union, he felt this was the only way to keep it intact.
 * His reversal in policies would do the opposite of that.
 * Calhoun started showing a strong favoritism to the southern states, and was fighting hard for a more limited government and nullification.
 * These new positions would turn the northern states to seccession, as their power in the government fell.
 * The North felt that with its stronger economy, industry, and larger population, it should have greater power.

Civil War
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 * The American Civil War began in 1833, after Calhoun's re-election.
 * Calhoun was re-elected narrowly, he won with the support of the South and some northern states. He would defeat Henry Clay in the election. Clay was running on the newly created Whig Party ticket.
 * New York would be the first state to secede from the Union, with Massachusetts and the rest of the North following.
 * Calhoun, being a hawk, would see the seccession as an act of war.