WI Nullification Crisis not resolved

What if instead of being resolved by a compromise as in OTL, the nullification crisis is not resolved and south carolina continues to nullify the tariff of abominations. Andrew Jackson would not have allowed nullification and with the force bill he might just march down with an army to South Carolina. Maybe the other southern states would stand with South Carolina and cause an early civil war. Or nullification could be crushed and maybe the civil war is avoided with a clear precedent of federal government being superior. What do you think would happen?
 
I don't think it would go down that way. There were certainly some outside of SC that might be more radically anti-federalist than Jackson but not enough for revolution. My guess is that Jackson pacifies South Carolina with his typical shock and awe. It likely becomes controversial, perhaps destroying the Democratic Party.... But no civil war.
 
I don't think it would go down that way. There were certainly some outside of SC that might be more radically anti-federalist than Jackson but not enough for revolution. My guess is that Jackson pacifies South Carolina with his typical shock and awe. It likely becomes controversial, perhaps destroying the Democratic Party.... But no civil war.

Well, technically, a SC only secession WOULD be a civil war - just a short one.

And, yes, it would establish firmly the principal that no state (or states) could unilaterally secede.

Which would make the slavery issue around the time of OTL's ACW really, really messy.

OT3H, if the more populous north doesn't have to worry about the South going its own way, they MIGHT not be so willing to compromise on e.g. the Missouri compromise.

OT4H.... The South had enough votes to block legislation, and did. You might find that the Federal government becomes relatively ineffectual, as the North won't pass anything the South wants, and vice versa.

So. E.g. No transcontinental railroad, at least nothing like as early.

OR... Maybe two railroads - one south (on the Gadsden purchase), one north (e.g. Great Northern). But in that case, it would be a decade or more later before the money and compromises could be worked out, no doubt.
 

TFSmith121

Banned
Read up on the crisis...

What if instead of being resolved by a compromise as in OTL, the nullification crisis is not resolved and south carolina continues to nullify the tariff of abominations. Andrew Jackson would not have allowed nullification and with the force bill he might just march down with an army to South Carolina. Maybe the other southern states would stand with South Carolina and cause an early civil war. Or nullification could be crushed and maybe the civil war is avoided with a clear precedent of federal government being superior. What do you think would happen?

Read up on the crisis... there were almost as many South Carolinians under Poinsett mobilized and ready to support the US government against the Nullifiers as the Nullifiers could put into the field.

Starts on page 94; the opposing orders of battle are sketched on page 100.

http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/030/30-13-1/CMH_Pub_30-13-1.pdf

Best,
 
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