In the 1800's, more and more factories were built in the north, while farming remained the most common way of life in the south. Northerners wanted to sell their goods in the south, but it was often cheaper for southerners to buy things shipped in from Europe. To help northern industries, the federal government placed a tariff on imported goods during John Quincy Adams Presidency in 1828. This tariff would make European goods very expensive, so southerners would have to buy from the northern states. The tariff became known in the south as the "Tariff of Abominations."
Southerners expressed their anger, resulting in the "Nullification Crisis." Many Southerners wanted to nullify the federal tariffs saying that it was not a valid law in their state. South Carolina passed an actual ordinance of nullification and threatened to withdraw from the union.
When Andrew Jackson became President, he issued a proclamation that emphasized the power of the federal government over state governments. He also ordered the US military to Charleston, South Carolina, to enforce the "Tariff of Abominations."
The crisis ended when Congress lowered the tariff in 1833. The crisis displayed southern feelings about states rights. Anger in the south over the tariff, as well as the federal government’s response to the nullification crisis, helped lead to the Civil War.