The Nullifier Party was an American
political party
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...
based in
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
in the 1830s. Considered an early
American third party, it was started by
John C. Calhoun in 1828.
The Nullifier Party was a
states' rights
In American political discourse, states' rights are political powers held for the state governments rather than the federal government according to the United States Constitution, reflecting especially the enumerated powers of Congress and the ...
, pro-
slavery
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
party that supported the
Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions were political statements drafted in 1798 and 1799 in which the Kentucky and Virginia legislatures took the position that the federal Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional. The resolutions argued t ...
, holding that states could
nullify federal laws within their borders. It narrowly missed claiming the unofficial title of being the first ever third party to be created within the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
—that title belongs to the
Anti-Masonic Party
The Anti-Masonic Party was the earliest third party in the United States. Formally a single-issue party, it strongly opposed Freemasonry, but later aspired to become a major party by expanding its platform to take positions on other issues. After ...
, which was created in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
in February 1828. The Nullifier Party had several members in both houses of the
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...
between 1831 and 1839. Calhoun outlined the principles of the party in his
South Carolina Exposition and Protest
The South Carolina Exposition and Protest, also known as Calhoun's Exposition, was written in December 1828 by John C. Calhoun, then Vice President of the United States under John Quincy Adams and later under Andrew Jackson. Calhoun did not formal ...
(1828), a reaction to the "
Tariff of Abominations
The Tariff of 1828 was a very high protective tariff that became law in the United States in May 1828. It was a bill designed to not pass Congress because it was seen by free trade supporters as hurting both industry and farming, but surprising ...
" passed by Congress and signed into law by President
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, and diarist who served as the sixth president of the United States, from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States S ...
.
The Nullifier Party operated almost exclusively in South Carolina. It stood in strong opposition to President
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
.
John Floyd was supported by the Nullifier Party in the
1832 presidential election, and he received South Carolina's 11 votes in the
electoral college.
Floyd was not a candidate and had himself unsuccessfully tried to convince Calhoun to run for President. The party's candidate for Vice President was the
-based
political economist
Political economy is the study of how economic systems (e.g. markets and national economies) and political systems (e.g. law, institutions, government) are linked. Widely studied phenomena within the discipline are systems such as labour mar ...
. Some Nullifiers joined the newly formed
Whig Party after the 1832 election, attracted by its opposition to Jackson and its depiction of Jackson as a monarch.
After President
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...
left office, Calhoun and most of his followers rejoined the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
.
Notable members
*
John C. Calhoun
*
Robert Y. Hayne
Robert Young Hayne (November 10, 1791 – September 24, 1839) was an American lawyer, planter and politician. He served in the United States Senate from 1823 to 1832, as Governor of South Carolina 1832–1834, and as Mayor of Charleston 1836– ...
*
John Floyd
*
Stephen D. Miller
Stephen Decatur Miller (May 8, 1787March 8, 1838) was an American politician, who served as the List of Governors of South Carolina, 52nd Governor of South Carolina from 1828 to 1830. He represented South Carolina as a United States House of Repre ...
*
James H. Hammond
*
William C. Preston
*
Henry L. Pinckney
Henry Laurens Pinckney (September 24, 1794February 3, 1863) was a United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from South Carolina, and the son of Charles Pinckney (governor), Charles Pinckney and Mary Eleanor Laurens.
Born in ...
*
Robert B. Campbell
*
William K. Clowney
*
Warren R. Davis
Warren Ransom Davis (May 8, 1793 – January 29, 1835) was an American attorney and Representative from South Carolina's 6th congressional district from 1827-35.
Davis was born in Columbia, South Carolina, pursued preparatory studies and gra ...
*
John Myers Felder
John Myers Felder (July 7, 1782 – September 1, 1851) was a United States politician.
Biography
His grandfather was a native of Switzerland, came to South Carolina about 1720, and was killed during the American Revolution while defending his h ...
*
John K. Griffin
*
Francis Wilkinson Pickens
Francis Wilkinson Pickens (1805/1807January 25, 1869) was a political Democrat and Governor of South Carolina when that state became the first to secede from the United States.
A cousin of US Senator John C. Calhoun, Pickens was born into the ...
*
George McDuffie
George McDuffie (August 10, 1790 – March 11, 1851) was the 55th Governor of South Carolina and a member of the United States Senate.
Biography
Born of modest means in McDuffie County, Georgia, McDuffie's extraordinary intellect was noticed ...
*
Franklin H. Elmore
Franklin Harper Elmore (October 15, 1799May 29, 1850) was a United States representative and Senator from South Carolina.
Biography
Born in Laurens District, the son of John Archer Elmore, he graduated from the South Carolina College at Co ...
Electoral history
Presidential elections
*
*
Congressional elections
*
*
See also
*
Nullification Crisis
References
{{United States political parties
Defunct political parties in the United States
Political parties established in 1828
Political parties in South Carolina
History of South Carolina
John C. Calhoun
Nullification (U.S. Constitution)
Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
1839 disestablishments in South Carolina
1828 establishments in South Carolina
Political parties disestablished in 1839
Factions in the Democratic Party (United States)
Political parties in the United States
Defunct conservative parties in the United States
Conservatism in the United States