A Political History of the Tariff 1789-1861

The Idea For This Book Arose Many Years Ago During A Conversation About The Civil War With A Doctor From South Carolina In The Locker Room Of The Wills Eye Hospital'S Surgical Suite. He Strongly Denied That Slavery Was The Reason The Confederate States Seceded And Informed Me That His Great-Grandfather Had Fought For The South But Was Not A Slaveowner. He Suggested That I Do More Reading. Later Discussions With Educated Individuals From Elite Schools Brought The Same Response So I Decided To Do What They Advised. At First I Was Convinced That He Was Wrong: The Overwhelming Consensus Of Dozens Of Books By Current Historians Is That Slavery Was The Central Issue. Nevertheless I Found A Minority Of Authors Who Conclude That The South Seceded For Economic Reasons. This Should Not Be Surprising Because The Power To Tax Is The Power To Destroy And Until The Start Of The Civil War The Tariff Provided The Government With Over 90% Of Its Income. So I Resolved To Read All The Debates In Congress To Better Inform Myself. After This I Decided That Hofstadter Thornton And Ekelund Were Correct. Both Slavery And Economic Factors Were Necessary To Cause The South To Secede. This Book Is An Attempt To Show The Role Of Economic Factors Especially The Tariff In The Alienation Of The South.