Tag: Phil Magness

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…

How to Deal With Grade Grubbers: An Instructional Essay

Almost every professor who has stood before a classroom has heard the standard lines before: “I worked really hard and put a lot of effort into this project,” or “I’m an A student who ALWAYS got straight A’s in high school,” or my personal favorite, “But I’m paying for this degree!” These are the calling cards of the grade grubber – the student who underperforms his or her own expectations on an assignment then embarks on an extended grade-raising quest that usually consists of exploring the extraordinary lengths to which a student can go to pester an instructor over the most trivial matters imaginable. It is one of the most annoying and recurring aspects of teaching at even the university…