Tariffs In The Northern States: A Case Study

Filza Qureshi
Three Senators decided to meet up to discuss the problems surrounding the economy of the county in 1828. Henry represented the Northeastern states, Adam represented the Midwestern states, and John represented the Southern states. Henry suggested that tariffs (taxes), be placed on imported goods to produce revenue that would add to the country’s income. In his logic, the industries in the Northern states would be protected because they were already being kicked out by low-priced imported goods. He was thinking about establishing a protective tariff (a tax in imports that would raise their price so that foreign markets would be intimidated). His argument made sense because the North was already so ahead when it came to industrialization and the low cost of goods was hurting their economy.
John didn’t think that it was right for Henry to think only for the sake of the Northerners. In fact, he went as far as to say that John was being unconstitutional. How could an idea such as this even be proposed? It was clear that there would be far more benefit to the North by these tariffs. He argued that by placing tariffs, the South would be forced to pay more for goods that they themselves didn’t produce and it would also make it difficult for the British to pay the South back for the cotton they imported. The South would have

While the economy of the North relied on fishing, trading, and textiles, the South had to make do with their “primitive” agricultural methods with the use of slavery. John was finally seeing through Henry’s clever scheme. Tariffs would prevent additional taxes from being places which make them cheaper, and more desirable, than foreign goods. This didn’t apply in the South. John was afraid that these tariffs would end up making foreign products even more expensive thereby damaging the South’s