What was the tariff of Abominations, why was it passed?
The Tariff of Abominations was the protectionist Tariff of 1828 that about doubled the cost of most imported European goods. Because the cost of imported European goods doubled, many European nations stopped purchasing raw cotton from the South, which caused the South’s economy to tank. In the 1820s, there was nascent industry in the North that was being pushed by European countries pushing cheap imports to the United States. The West and South were under-industrialized, but the West produced raw materials for Northern factories while the South grew cotton primarily for export to French and English cotton mills. The tariff bill was created by Andrew Jackson supporters in the North with the intention of embarrassing anti-Jackson Northern Whig voters. Jackson’s supporters knew that the tariff would harm interests in the West and South, where Jackson had strong support, while protecting factories in the North, where he was weak. The plan was to force the Whigs to vote for the tariff only
