Did Tariffs Spark the Civil War? Reflecting on the Morrill Act at 150
Did protective tariffs truly lead to the Civil War? This question is one that nearly every enthusiast of the era encounters, standing as one of the most controversial and misunderstood debates surrounding the roots of secession, exactly 150 years ago. The debate around tariffs is contentious because it can appear to downplay slavery’s critical role in the Civil War’s origins. In this simplified view, the argument can be countered by South Carolina’s Declaration of Immediate Causes, which cited “an increasing hostility on the part of the non-slaveholding States to the institution of slavery” as its motivation for secession. However, while tariffs may not have been primary, dismissing their role entirely would be hasty. James W. Loewen, a sociologist, sought to…