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John C. Calhoun
John C. Calhoun
In office
March 4, 1825 – December 28, 1832
President John Quincy Adams
Andrew Jackson
Preceded by Daniel D. Tompkins
Succeeded by Martin Van Buren
In office
April 1, 1844 – March 10, 1845
President John Tyler
Preceded by Abel P. Upshur
Succeeded by James Buchanan
In office
October 8, 1817 – March 4, 1825
President James Monroe
Preceded by William H. Crawford
Succeeded by James Barbour
Born March 18, 1782(1782-03-18)
Abbeville, South Carolina
Died March 31, 1850 (aged 68)
Washington, D.C.
Nationality American
Political party Democratic-Republican, Democratic, Nullifier
Spouse Floride Colhoun Calhoun
Religion Unitarian[1]

John Caldwell Calhoun (March 18, 1782 – March 31, 1850) was a leading United States Southern politician and political philosopher from South Carolina during the first half of the 19th century. The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 1825 ( MDCCCXXV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of Year 1832 ( MDCCCXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian John Quincy Adams (July 11 1767 &ndash February 23 1848 was an American diplomat and politician who served as the sixth President of the United States Andrew Jackson (March 15 1767 June 8 1845 was the seventh President of the United States (1829&ndash1837 Daniel D Tompkins (June 21 1774 June 11 1825 was an entrepreneur jurist Congressman, Governor of New York, and the sixth Vice President of the United Martin Van Buren (December 5 1782 July 24 1862 was the eighth President of the United States from 1837 to 1841 The United States Secretary of State (commonly abbreviated as SecState) is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with Foreign affairs Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1844 ( MDCCCXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common John Tyler Jr (March 29 1790 January 18 1862 was the tenth President of the United States (1841-1845 and the first ever to obtain that office via succession Abel Parker Upshur ( June 17, 1790 &ndash February 28, 1844) was an American lawyer, judge and politician from James Buchanan Jr (April 23 1791 – June 1 1868 was the fifteenth President of the United States (1857–1861 The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington 's administration Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses Year 1817 ( MDCCCXVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 1825 ( MDCCCXXV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common James Monroe (April 28 1758 – July 4 1831 was the fifth President of the United States (1817–1825 William Harris Crawford ( February 24, 1772 &ndash September 15, 1834) was an important American politician James Barbour ( June 10, 1775 June 7, 1842) was an American Lawyer, amember and speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor Year 1782 ( MDCCLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common For other communities of the same name see Abbeville (disambiguation. Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor For the game see 1850 (board game. 1850 ( MDCCCL) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The Nullifier Party was a short-lived Political party based in South Carolina in the 1830s Floride Bonneau Calhoun ( February 15, 1792 &ndash July 25, 1866) was the wife of prominent U Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor Year 1782 ( MDCCLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor For the game see 1850 (board game. 1850 ( MDCCCL) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link The United States of America —commonly referred to as the South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. He is perhaps best known as the first Vice President to resign his office. Calhoun was an advocate of states' rights, limited government, and nullification. States' rights refers to the idea in US politics and constitutional law, that U Limited Government is a government structure where any more than minimal governmental intervention in personal liberties and the economy is not usually allowed by Law, usually Nullification is a legal theory that a US State has the right to nullify or invalidate any federal law which that state has deemed unconstitutional. He was the first vice-president born as a U. S. citizen.

After a short stint in the South Carolina legislature, where he wrote legislation making South Carolina the first state to adopt white male suffrage, Calhoun began his federal career as a staunch nationalist, favoring war with Britain in 1812 and a federal program of internal improvements afterwards. He reversed course in the 1820s, when the "Corrupt Bargain" of 1824 led him to renounce nationalism in favor of states' rights of the sort Thomas Jefferson and James Madison had propounded in the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798. States' rights refers to the idea in US politics and constitutional law, that U Thomas Jefferson (April 13 1743 – July 4 1826 was the third President of the United States (1801–1809 the principal author of the Declaration of Independence James Madison Jr (March 16 1751 – June 28 1836 was an American Politician, the fourth President of the United States (1809–1817 and one of the Founding The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions (or Resolves) were important political statements in favor of States' rights written secretly by Vice President Thomas Year 1798 ( MDCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Although he died a decade before the American Civil War broke out, Calhoun was a major inspiration to the secessionists who created the short-lived Confederate States of America. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 Nicknamed the "cast-iron man" for his staunch determination to defend the causes in which he believed, Calhoun pushed nullification, states' rights, under which states could declare null and void federal laws they deemed to be unconstitutional. States' rights refers to the idea in US politics and constitutional law, that U He was an outspoken proponent of the institution of slavery, which he defended as a "positive good" rather than as a necessary evil. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another [1] His rhetorical defense of slavery was partially responsible for escalating Southern threats of secession in the face of mounting abolitionist sentiment in the North. He was part of the "Great Triumvirate", or the "Immortal Trio", along with his colleagues Daniel Webster and Henry Clay. The Great Triumvirate is a term that refers to the three statesmen who dominated the United States Senate in the 1830s and 1840s Henry Clay of Kentucky Daniel Webster (January 18 1782 &ndash October 24 1852 was a leading American Statesman during the nation's Antebellum Period. Henry Clay Sr ( April 12, 1777 &ndash June 29, 1852) was a nineteenth-century American statesman and Orator who

The Calhoun Doctrine Northerners believed that Congress had the power to exclude slavery from the territories and show exercise that power. Southerners, not surprisingly challenged the doctrine of congressional authority to regulate or prohibit slavery in the territories. In 1847 Calhoun claimed that citizens from every state had the right to take their "property" to any territory. Congress, he asserted, had no authority to place restrictions on slavery in the territories. If the Northern majority continued to ride roughshod over the rights of the Southern minority, the Southern states would have little option but to secede.

Calhoun held several high federal-government offices. He served as the seventh Vice President of the United States, first under John Quincy Adams (1825–1829) and then under Andrew Jackson (1829–1832), but resigned the Vice Presidency to enter the United States Senate, where he had more power. The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death John Quincy Adams (July 11 1767 &ndash February 23 1848 was an American diplomat and politician who served as the sixth President of the United States Andrew Jackson (March 15 1767 June 8 1845 was the seventh President of the United States (1829&ndash1837 The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives He served in the United States House of Representatives (1810–1817) and was Secretary of War (1817–1824) under James Monroe and Secretary of State (1844–1845) under John Tyler. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington 's administration James Monroe (April 28 1758 – July 4 1831 was the fifth President of the United States (1817–1825 The United States Secretary of State (commonly abbreviated as SecState) is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with Foreign affairs John Tyler Jr (March 29 1790 January 18 1862 was the tenth President of the United States (1841-1845 and the first ever to obtain that office via succession

Contents

Origins and early life

Calhoun was born the 18th (or 19th) of March, 1782 the fourth child of Patrick Calhoun and his wife Martha (nee Caldwell). His father was an Ulster-Scot who emigrated from County Donegal to the Thirteen Colonies where he met Martha, herself the daughter of a Protestant Irish immigrant father [2]. Ulster Scots, also known as Ullans, Hiberno-Scots, or Scots-Irish, refers to the variety of Scots (sometimes referred to as County Donegal (ˌdʌnəˈgɔːl Irish: Contae Dhún na nGall. The Thirteen Colonies were part of what became known as British America, a name that was used by Great Britain until the Treaty of Paris (1783 recognized the

When his father became ill, the 17-year-old Calhoun quit school to continue the family farm. With his brothers' financial support, he later returned to his studies, earning a degree from Yale College in 1804. Year 1804 ( MDCCCIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a After studying law at the Tapping Reeve Law School in Litchfield, Connecticut, Calhoun was admitted to the South Carolina bar in 1807. The Litchfield Law School of Litchfield Connecticut was the first law school in the United States, having been established in 1773 by Tapping Reeve Litchfield is a town in and former County seat of Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, and is known as an affluent summer

In January 1811 Calhoun married his first cousin once removed, Floride Bonneau Colhoun, whose branch of the family spelled the surname differently than did his. Year 1811 ( MDCCCXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year cousin in Kinship terminology is a relative with whom one shares a common Ancestor, but in modern usage the term is rarely used when referring to a The couple had 10 children over an 18-year period, although three died in infancy. During her husband's second term as vice president, Floride Calhoun was a central figure in the Petticoat Affair. The Petticoat Affair (also known as the Eaton Affair or the Eaton Malaria) was an U

An 1822 portrait of John C. Calhoun
An 1822 portrait of John C. Year 1822 (MDCCCXXII was a Common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Sunday of the Calhoun

Early political career

In 1810, Calhoun was elected to Congress, and became one of the War Hawks who, led by Henry Clay, were agitating for what became the War of 1812 — no great innovation for Calhoun, who had made his public debut in calling for war after 1807's Chesapeake-Leopard incident. Year 1810 ( MDCCCX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year War Hawk is a term originally used to describe a member of the House of Representatives of the Twelfth Congress of the United States who advocated Henry Clay Sr ( April 12, 1777 &ndash June 29, 1852) was a nineteenth-century American statesman and Orator who The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and the British Empire, particularly Great Britain and her North American colonies Year 1807 ( MDCCCVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common After the war, Calhoun and Clay sponsored a Bonus Bill for public works. Two major bills of the United States Congress have been called the Bonus Bill. Public works are the construction or engineering projects carried out by the State on behalf of the Community. With the goal of building a strong nation that could fight a future war, he aggressively pushed for high protective tariffs (to build up industry), a national bank, internal improvements, and many other policies he later repudiated. [3]

In 1817, President James Monroe appointed Calhoun to be Secretary of War, where he served until 1825. Year 1817 ( MDCCCXVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common James Monroe (April 28 1758 – July 4 1831 was the fifth President of the United States (1817–1825 The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington 's administration Year 1825 ( MDCCCXXV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common As Belko (2004) argues, his management of Indian affairs proved his nationalism. His opponents were the "Old Republicans" in Congress, with their Jeffersonian ideology for economy in the federal government; they often attacked the operations and finances of the war department. Calhoun was a reform-minded executive, who attempted to institute centralization and efficiency in the Indian department, but Congress either failed to respond to his reforms or rejected them. Calhoun's frustration with congressional inaction, political rivalries, and ideological differences that dominated the late early republic spurred him to unilaterally create the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1824. Year 1824 ( MDCCCXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Calhoun's nationalism also manifested itself in his advice to Monroe to sign off on the Missouri Compromise, which most other southern politicians saw as a distinctly bad deal; Calhoun believed that continued agitation of the slavery issue threatened the Union, so the Missouri dispute had to be concluded. The Missouri Compromise was an agreement passed in 1820 between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the United States Congress, involving

It should be noted that during this time period, Calhoun was perhaps the most tireless and selfless proponent of the nationalist agenda in American politics. As Secretary of State John Quincy Adams wrote in 1821, "Calhoun is a man of fair and candid mind, of honorable principles, of clear and quick understanding, of cool self-possession, of enlarged philosophical views, and of ardent patriotism. He is above all sectional and factious prejudices more than any other statesman of this Union with whom I have ever acted. "[4] Historian Charles Wiltse agrees, noting, "Though he is known today primarily for his sectionalism, Calhoun was the last of the great political leaders of his time to take a sectional position-later than Webster, later than Clay, later than Adams himself. "[5]

Vice Presidency

Election

Calhoun originally was a candidate for President in the election of 1824, but after failing to win the endorsement of the legislature in his own state, he decided to set his sights on the vice presidency. In the United States presidential election of 1824, John Quincy Adams was elected President on February 9 1825 after the election was decided by the House Thus, while no candidate received a majority in the Electoral College and the election was ultimately resolved by the House of Representatives, Calhoun was elected Vice President in a landslide. The Electoral College consists of 538 popularly elected representatives who formally select the President and Vice President of the United States. The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death Calhoun served four years under Adams, and then, in 1828,ran for re-election as Vice President along side Andrew Jackson. After a decisive victory, Calhoun was then Andrew Jackon's new vice president. But after Andrew Jackson stated that the union had to be preserved, and their differences became irreconcilable, he then decided he didn't want to be vice president, and resigned. He was elected to the Senate that same year.

The Adams Administration

Calhoun believed that the outcome of the 1824 presidential election, in which the House made Adams president despite the greater popularity of Jackson, demonstrated that control of the federal government was subject to manipulation of selfish politicians. He, therefore, resolved to thwart Adams' reelection. Adams' nationalist program, which had much in common with Calhoun's former program, seemed to Calhoun calculated to further Clay's and Adams' political interests, so Calhoun opposed it. In 1828, he ran for reelection as the running mate of Andrew Jackson, and thus became one of two Vice Presidents to serve under two presidents (the other being George Clinton). The year 1828 ( MDCCCXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Andrew Jackson (March 15 1767 June 8 1845 was the seventh President of the United States (1829&ndash1837 This page is for the US Vice President For others of that name see George Clinton.

The Jackson Administration

His wife, Floride Calhoun
His wife, Floride Calhoun

Under Andrew Jackson, Calhoun's Vice Presidency remained controversial. Floride Bonneau Calhoun ( February 15, 1792 &ndash July 25, 1866) was the wife of prominent U Andrew Jackson (March 15 1767 June 8 1845 was the seventh President of the United States (1829&ndash1837 The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death Once again, a rift developed between Calhoun and the President.

The Tariff of 1828, also known as the Tariff of Abominations aggravated the rift between Calhoun and the Jacksonians. The Tariff of 1828, also known as the Tariff of Abominations, enacted on May 19 1828 (ch The Tariff of 1828, also known as the Tariff of Abominations, enacted on May 19 1828 (ch He had been assured that Jacksonians would reject the bill, but Northern Jacksonians were primarily responsible for its passage. Frustrated, he returned to his South Carolina plantation to write South Carolina Exposition and Protest, an essay rejecting the nationalist philosophy he once advocated. The South Carolina Exposition and Protest, also known as Calhoun's Exposition, was written in 1828 by John C

He now supported the theory of concurrent majority through the doctrine of nullification — that individual states could override federal legislation they deemed unconstitutional. Concurrent majority refers in general to the concept of preventing majorities from oppressing minorities by allowing various minority groups veto power over laws Nullification traced back to arguments by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in writing the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798, which proposed that states could nullify the Alien and Sedition Acts. Thomas Jefferson (April 13 1743 – July 4 1826 was the third President of the United States (1801–1809 the principal author of the Declaration of Independence James Madison Jr (March 16 1751 – June 28 1836 was an American Politician, the fourth President of the United States (1809–1817 and one of the Founding The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions (or Resolves) were important political statements in favor of States' rights written secretly by Vice President Thomas The Alien and Sedition Acts were four bills passed in 1798 by the Federalists in the United States Congress —who were waging an undeclared naval war with France Jackson, who supported states rights but believed that nullification threatened the Union, opposed it. The difference, however, between Calhoun's arguments and those of Jefferson and Madison, is that Calhoun explicitly argued for a state's right to secede from the Union, if necessary, instead of simply nullifying certain federal legislation. Madison rebuked the nullificationists and said that no state had the right to nullify federal law. [6]

At the 1830 Jefferson Day dinner at Jesse Brown's Indian Queen Hotel (April 13, 1830), Jackson proposed a toast and proclaimed "Our federal Union, it must be preserved," to which Calhoun replied "the Union, next to our liberty, the most dear. " In May 1830, the relationship between Jackson and Calhoun deteriorated further when Jackson discovered that Calhoun - while serving as Monroe's Secretary of War - had requested President Monroe to censure Jackson - at the time a General - for invading Spanish Florida in 1818 without authorization from either Calhoun or President Monroe during the Seminole War. The Seminole Wars, also known as the Florida Wars, were three conflicts in Florida between various groups of Native Americans collectively known as Calhoun defended his 1818 request, stating it was the right thing to do. The feud between him and Jackson heated up as Calhoun informed the President that another attack from his opponents was not hard for others to see, and would have a series of argumentative letters sent to each other - fueled by Jackson's opponents - until Jackson stopped the correspondence in July 1830. By February, 1831, the break between Calhoun and Jackson was final after Calhoun - responding to inaccurate press reports about the feud - published the letters in the United States Telegram [2]. During the break, further damage was also done to Jackson and Calhoun's relationship after Floride Calhoun organized a coalition among Cabinet wives against Peggy Eaton, wife of Secretary of War John Eaton, after it was alleged that John and Peggy Eaton had engaged in an adulterous affair while Mrs. Floride Bonneau Calhoun ( February 15, 1792 &ndash July 25, 1866) was the wife of prominent U Margaret O'Neill (or O'Neale Eaton ( 3 December, 1799 - 8 November, 1879) better known as Peggy Eaton, was the daughter of John Henry Eaton ( June 18, 1790 – November 17, 1856) was an American Politician and diplomat from Eaton was still legally married to her first husband, John B. Timberlake - which allegedly drove Timberlake to suicide. John B Timberlake was a Purser in The United States Navy, and during his initial service in the military fell into massive debt The scandal which became known as the Petticoat Affair, or the Peggy Eaton Affair, resulted in the resignation of Jackson's Cabinet except for Postmaster General William T. Barry and Martin Van Buren who resigned as Secretary of State, but only in order to take an alternative position in Jackson's administration as United States Minister to Britain. The Petticoat Affair (also known as the Eaton Affair or the Eaton Malaria) was an U William Taylor Barry ( February 5, 1784 &ndash August 30, 1835) was an American statesman and jurist Martin Van Buren (December 5 1782 July 24 1862 was the eighth President of the United States from 1837 to 1841

Nullification Crisis

Sketch of John C. Calhoun
Sketch of John C. Calhoun

In 1832, the states' rights theory was put to the test in the Nullification Crisis after South Carolina passed an ordinance that claimed to nullify federal tariffs. The Nullification Crisis was a sectional crisis during the presidency of Andrew Jackson created by the Ordinance of Nullification, an attempt by the South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. The tariffs favored Northern manufacturing interests over Southern agricultural concerns, and the South Carolina legislature declared them to be unconstitutional. John Calhoun had also formed a political party in South Carolina known as the Nullifier Party. The Nullifier Party was a short-lived Political party based in South Carolina in the 1830s

In response, Congress passed the Force Bill, which empowered the president to use military power to force states to obey all federal laws, and Jackson sent US Navy warships to Charleston Harbor. The United States Force Bill (enacted March 2[[ 833]] authorized U South Carolina then nullified the Force Bill. But tensions cooled after both sides agreed to the Compromise Tariff of 1833, a proposal by Senator Henry Clay to change the tariff law in a manner which satisfied Calhoun, who by then was in the Senate. The Tariff of 1833 (also known as the Compromise Tariff of 1833, ch Henry Clay Sr ( April 12, 1777 &ndash June 29, 1852) was a nineteenth-century American statesman and Orator who

The humor in this is that Calhoun argued for the Doctrine of Nullification, which had gone as far as to suggest secession, anonymously, making his true opinions unknown to Jackson. Calhoun had written the 1828 doctrine South Carolina Exposition and Protest- which argued that a state could veto any law it considered unconstitutional [3]. The South Carolina Exposition and Protest, also known as Calhoun's Exposition, was written in 1828 by John C The break between Jackson and Calhoun was complete, and, in 1832, Calhoun ran for the Senate rather than remain as Vice President; because he exposed his nullification beliefs during the nullification crisis, his chances of becoming President were very low [4]. After the Compromise Tariff of 1833 was put into effect, the Nullifier Party, along with other anti-Jackson politicians would form a coalition known as the Whig Party, which Calhoun would side with until he broke with key Whig party Senator Daniel Webster, over slavery as well as the Whigs' program of "internal improvements", which many Southern and Northern industrial interests at the expense of Southern interests. The Whig Party was a Political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Daniel Webster (January 18 1782 &ndash October 24 1852 was a leading American Statesman during the nation's Antebellum Period. Whig party leader Clay also would side with Webster on these issues.

U. S. Senator and views on slavery

John C. Calhoun
John C. Calhoun

On December 28, 1832, Calhoun accepted election to the United States Senate from his native South Carolina, becoming the first Vice President in U. S. history to resign from office. He would achieve his greatest influence and most lasting fame as a senator.

Calhoun led the pro-slavery faction in the Senate in the 1830s and 1840s, opposing both abolitionism and attempts to limit the expansion of slavery into the western territories. Abolitionism was a political movement of the 18th and 19th century which sought to make Slavery illegal particularly in the United States and British West Indies He was also a major advocate of the Fugitive Slave Law, which enforced the co-operation of Free States in returning escaping slaves. The fugitive slave laws were laws passed by the United States Congress in 1793 and 1850 to provide for the return of slaves who escaped from one state Calhoun couched his defense of Southern states' right to preserve the institution of slavery in terms of liberty and self-determination. And whereas other Southern politicians had excused slavery as a necessary evil, in a famous February 1837 speech on the Senate floor, Calhoun went further, asserting that slavery was a "positive good. " He rooted this claim on two grounds—white supremacy and paternalism. All societies, Calhoun claimed, are ruled by an elite group which enjoys the fruits of the labor of a less-privileged group. [5] But unlike in the North and Europe, in which the laboring classes were cast aside to die in poverty by the aristocracy when they became too old or sick to work, in the South slaves were cared for even when no longer useful:

Calhoun's home, Fort Hill, in Clemson, South Carolina.
Calhoun's home, Fort Hill, in Clemson, South Carolina. Fort Hill, also known as the John C Calhoun Mansion and Library, is a National Historic Landmark in South Carolina which was once the home of John Clemson is a city in Anderson and Pickens counties in the US state of South Carolina.
"I may say with truth, that in few countries so much is left to the share of the laborer, and so little exacted from him, or where there is more kind attention paid to him in sickness or infirmities of age. Compare his condition with the tenants of the poor houses in the more civilized portions of Europe—look at the sick, and the old and infirm slave, on one hand, in the midst of his family and friends, under the kind superintending care of his master and mistress, and compare it with the forlorn and wretched condition of the pauper in the poorhouse. "

Calhoun's fierce defense of states' rights and support for the Slave Power played a major role in deepening the growing divide between the Northern and Southern states on this issue, wielding the threat of Southern secession to back slave-state demands. The Slave Power (sometimes referred to as the " Slaveocracy " was a term used in the Northern United States (primarily in the period 1840-1875 to characterize Secession (derived from the Latin term secessio is the act of withdrawing from an organization union or especially a political entity

After a one year break as Secretary of State, Calhoun returned to the Senate in 1845, participating in the epic Senate struggle over the expansion of slavery in the Western states that produced the Compromise of 1850. The Compromise of 1850 was a series of bills aimed at resolving the territorial and slavery controversies arising from the Mexican-American War (1846&ndash1848 But his health deteriorated and he died in March 1850, of tuberculosis in Washington, D.C., at the age of 68, and was buried in St. Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for tubercle bacillus or T u' b' erculosis Bacillus --> is a common Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Phillips Churchyard in Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston is a city in Charleston county in the US state of South Carolina.

Indian Affairs

John C. Calhoun viewed the interactions with the American Indians as fundamental to protecting the United States. He felt that having a separate, distinct culture within the borders of the United States would create problems in such areas as land usage, interracial relationships, and trade. His beliefs that Indians were inferior steered Calhoun to support a policy of the Removal of the Indians in the eastern United States. His position in the American political system as Secretary of War and later the Vice-Presidency allowed for Calhoun’s policies to be implemented in the United States, resulting in a nationalistic stance that did not permit the American Indian culture from existing inside the boundaries of what Calhoun saw as “white civilization. ”

Calhoun saw the Indians as savages that lived outside the culture of the white dominated, market philosophy. He saw this difference between societies as a dominate versus subordinate relationship. This furthered his position that the following difficult dichotomy was in place: either assimilate the Indians into American culture or move them West so they are separated from white American society. Calhoun thought that the period for the Indian to be calmly assimilated had ended by the time Calhoun was appointed to the position of Secretary of War in 1817. For Calhoun this meant that in the best interest of both parties, the United States and the Indians, the Indians should move westward into the area west of Lake Michigan or into the area of the Louisiana Purchase. This, in his opinion, would allow the government to control the interactions between the Indians and the white Americans. It would discourage interracial relationships as well as control the economy for the Indians through the factory system.

In Calhoun’s writings, his position is clear that he feels that the Indians would cease to exist if the United States did not take policies to remove them from the land that was coveted by the white Americans. As savages, their society could not survive. There seemed to be urgency in Calhoun’s writing. He felt it his duty, as an enlightened person in power, to “help” the Indians become civilized. As Secretary of War under James Monroe, Calhoun and his department were authorized to make what they considered generous offers to Eastern tribes in exchange for their moving west of the Mississippi River. Some groups, such as some Cherokees accepted these offers. Other tribes refused the offers, especially those that were not nomadic and had a connection to a specific area. These tribes were eventually relocated through Removal. See:Trail of Tears

Calhoun also established posts or forts for trading with the Indians and created an American presence in the Indian West. The Trail of Tears was the forced relocation of Native Americans from their homelands to Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma in the Western United States The goal was to cut off the Indians’ trade with the British and allow the United States to monopolize the fur trade. Calhoun established the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the War Department in 1824. He did this without any congressional authorization. Congress did authorize a Commissioner of Indian Affairs in 1832 after Calhoun had left the War Department. This gave the War Department, authority over all federal expenditures concerning Indians. In particular, they controlled the funds for the civilization of the Indians.

Many of Calhoun’s policy ideas were implemented during his tenure as Secretary of War and Vice-President. He believed that government interference in the lives of Indians was essential because the Indians were too ignorant and uncivilized to be allowed to make their own decisions and live as they chose.

John C. Calhoun in his final years.
John C. Calhoun in his final years.

Legacy

During the Civil War, the Confederate government honored Calhoun on a one-cent postage stamp, which was printed but never officially released (as seen below). Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 This is a survey of the Postage stamps and Postal history of the Confederate States of America.

Calhoun was also honored by his alma mater, Yale University, which named one of its undergraduate residence halls "Calhoun College. Calhoun College is a Residential college of Yale University. Early history In 1641 John Brockston established a farm on the plot of land that " The university also erected a statue of Calhoun in Harkness Tower, a prominent campus landmark. Harkness Tower is a prominent Gothic Revival structure at Yale University in New Haven Connecticut, United States.

Unissued Confederate postage stamp depicting John C. Calhoun.
Unissued Confederate postage stamp depicting John C. The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 This is a survey of the Postage stamps and Postal history of the Confederate States of America. Calhoun.

Clemson University is also part of Calhoun's legacy. The campus occupies the site of Calhoun's Fort Hill plantation, which he bequeathed to his wife and daughter, who promptly sold it to a relative along with 50 slaves, receiving $15,000 for the 1100 acres and $29,000 for the slaves. When that owner died, Thomas Green Clemson foreclosed the mortgage as administrator of his mother-in-law's estate, thus regaining the property from his in-laws' widow. Thomas Green Clemson IV ( July 1, 1807 &ndash April 6, 1888) was an American Politician and Statesman, serving Clemson's chief claim to fame, prior to founding the university in his will, was having served as ambassador to Belgium — a post he obtained through the influence of his father-in-law, who was Secretary of State at the time. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those In 1888, after Calhoun's daughter had died, Clemson wrote a will bequeathing his father-in-law's former estate to South Carolina on the condition that it be used for an agricultural university to be named "Clemson. " A nearby town named for Calhoun was renamed Clemson in 1943. Clemson is a city in Anderson and Pickens counties in the US state of South Carolina.

Calhoun is also the namesake for Calhoun Community College in Decatur, Alabama, and Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Calhoun Community College is a two-year institution of higher learning located in Decatur Alabama, United States Decatur is a city in Limestone and Morgan Counties in the US state of Alabama. Lake Calhoun is one of the larger Lakes in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and part of the city's Chain of Lakes. Many streets in the south, such as John C. Calhoun Drive in Orangeburg, South Carolina and the John C. Orangeburg, also known as "The Garden City" is the principal city and County seat of Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States Calhoun Expressway in Augusta, GA, are named in his memory. Augusta Georgia is a city in Richmond County, Georgia, United States. In 1957, United States Senators honored Calhoun as one of the "five greatest senators of all time. "

Calhoun Middle School in Denton, Texas, is named after John C. Calhoun.

Calhoun also has a landing on the Santee Cooper River in Santee, South Carolina, named after him. Santee is a town in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States. Calhoun Monument stands in Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston is a city in Charleston county in the US state of South Carolina. Calhoun Street, a large thoroughfare in Charleston was also named after Calhoun and the USS John C. Calhoun was a Fleet Ballistic Missile nuclear submarine, under sail from 1963 to 1994.

Calhoun was also rumored to have been involved in a duel with Revolutionary War hero and Whiskey Rebellion mastermind, Logan "Charlie Two-Shirts" Morland. The fight infamously ended in a draw when the pair, both already embroiled over their insults to each other, were further dishonored by an affront from none other than Charles Lindbergh ancestor, Gunther Lindbergh. According to legend, Calhoun and Morland forgot their own quarrels, turned their weapons on Lindbergh, and mortally wounded him after he shouted, "Duels are the sport of cowards, Indian-appeasers, and Frenchmen. " Most scholars, however, treat the tale as pure myth and conjecture.

Facts

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Vision & Values in a Post-9/11 World: A curriculum on Civil Liberties, Patriotism, and the U.S. Role Abroad for Unitarian Universalist Congregations, Developed by Pamela Sparr on behalf of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, Spring 2002. This is a partial list of places named for American statesman John C (Retrieved 28 August 2007)
  2. ^ [http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=6105330&id=I19299 wc. rootsweb. com
  3. ^ Wiltse (1944) vol 1 ch 8-11
  4. ^ Adams, Diary, V, 361
  5. ^ Wiltse, John C. Calhoun: Nationalist, 234
  6. ^ Rutland, Robert Allen. (1997) James Madison: The Founding Father, p. 248-249.

References

Primary sources

Academic secondary sources

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Daniel D. Tompkins		 Vice President of the United States
March 4, 1825 – December 28, 1832		 Succeeded by
Martin Van Buren
Government offices
Preceded by
William H. Crawford		 United States Secretary of War
October 8, 1817 – March 4, 1825		 Succeeded by
James Barbour
Preceded by
Abel P. Upshur		 United States Secretary of State
April 1, 1844 – March 10, 1845		 Succeeded by
James Buchanan
Preceded by
Levi Woodbury
New Hampshire
 Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance
1845 – 1846		 Succeeded by
Dixon Lewis
Alabama
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Joseph Calhoun		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from South Carolina's 6th congressional district
March 4, 1811 – November 3, 1817		 Succeeded by
Eldred Simkins
United States Senate
Preceded by
Robert Y. Hayne		 United States Senator (Class 2) from South Carolina
December 29, 1832 – March 3, 1843
Served alongside: Stephen D. Miller, William C. Preston and George McDuffie		 Succeeded by
Daniel E. Huger
Preceded by
Daniel E. Huger		 United States Senator (Class 2) from South Carolina
November 26, 1845 – March 31, 1850
Served alongside: George McDuffie and Andrew P. Butler		 Succeeded by
Franklin H. Elmore
Party political offices
Preceded by
Daniel D. Tompkins		 Democratic-Republican vice presidential cadidate
1824 (won)		 Succeeded by
John C. The College of New Jersey, abbreviated TCNJ, formerly Trenton State College, is a public, Coeducational University. Daniel D Tompkins (June 21 1774 June 11 1825 was an entrepreneur jurist Congressman, Governor of New York, and the sixth Vice President of the United The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death Martin Van Buren (December 5 1782 July 24 1862 was the eighth President of the United States from 1837 to 1841 William Harris Crawford ( February 24, 1772 &ndash September 15, 1834) was an important American politician The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington 's administration James Barbour ( June 10, 1775 June 7, 1842) was an American Lawyer, amember and speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates Abel Parker Upshur ( June 17, 1790 &ndash February 28, 1844) was an American lawyer, judge and politician from The United States Secretary of State (commonly abbreviated as SecState) is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with Foreign affairs James Buchanan Jr (April 23 1791 – June 1 1868 was the fifteenth President of the United States (1857–1861 Levi Woodbury ( December 22, 1789 September 4, 1851) was the first justice of the Supreme Court of the United States to have attended The US Senate Committee on Finance (or less formally Senate Finance Committee) is a Standing committee of the United States Senate. Dixon Hall Lewis ( August 10, 1802 – October 25, 1848) was an American politician who served as a representative and a The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. Joseph Calhoun ( October 22, 1750 – April 14, 1817) was a Republican member of the South Carolina House of Representatives These are tables of congressional delegations from South Carolina to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives. The 6th Congressional District of South Carolina is a congressional district in central South Carolina. Userpolbot from http//bioguidecongressgov/scripts/biodisplaypl?index=S000414 The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Robert Young Hayne ( November 10, 1791 &ndash September 24, 1839) was an American political leader South Carolina ratified the Constitution on May 23, 1788. Its Senate seats were declared vacant in July 1861 owing to its See also the politician from Minnesota Stephen Miller (1816 1881 Stephen Decatur Miller ( May 8, 1787 - March 8 William Campbell Preston ( December 27, 1794 &ndash May 22, 1860) was a senator from the United States and a member George McDuffie ( August 10, 1790 March 11, 1851) was a Governor of South Carolina and a member of the United States Senate Daniel Elliott Huger ( June 28, 1779 &ndash August 21, 1854) was a United States Senator from South Carolina. Daniel Elliott Huger ( June 28, 1779 &ndash August 21, 1854) was a United States Senator from South Carolina. South Carolina ratified the Constitution on May 23, 1788. Its Senate seats were declared vacant in July 1861 owing to its George McDuffie ( August 10, 1790 March 11, 1851) was a Governor of South Carolina and a member of the United States Senate Andrew Pickens Butler ( November 18, 1796 &ndash May 25, 1857) was an American statesman and one of the authors of the Franklin Harper Elmore ( October 15, 1799 &ndash May 29, 1850) was a United States Representative and Senator. Daniel D Tompkins (June 21 1774 June 11 1825 was an entrepreneur jurist Congressman, Governor of New York, and the sixth Vice President of the United In the United States presidential election of 1824, John Quincy Adams was elected President on February 9 1825 after the election was decided by the House Calhoun
Preceded by
John C. Calhoun		 Democratic Party vice presidential candidate(1)
1828 (won)		 Succeeded by
Martin Van Buren
Notes and references
1. This is a list of the candidates for the offices of President of the United States and Vice President of the United States of the modern Democratic Party of the United The United States presidential election of 1828 featured a rematch between incumbent President John Quincy Adams and chief rival Andrew Jackson. Martin Van Buren (December 5 1782 July 24 1862 was the eighth President of the United States from 1837 to 1841 The Democratic Party vice-presidential nominee split this year between Calhoun and William Smith. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. William Smith ( September 6, 1762 &ndash June 26, 1840) was chosen as a Democratic-Republican to the U


Persondata
NAME Calhoun, John Caldwell
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH March 18, 1782
PLACE OF BIRTH Abbeville, South Carolina
DATE OF DEATH March 31, 1850
PLACE OF DEATH Washington, D.C.
Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor Year 1782 ( MDCCLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common For other communities of the same name see Abbeville (disambiguation. Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor For the game see 1850 (board game. 1850 ( MDCCCL) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D
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