Changes

A tariff is a tax imposed on imported goods, which are goods brought into our country from another country.  When a foreign country sent goods to the United States, our federal government would impose a "tariff" or surcharge on those goods as a condition for them to be sold in this country.  The more goods we import, the more the revenue from the tariffs.  Tariffs were ultimately replaced by the income tax on individuals as the primary means for supporting our government, because President Woodrow Wilson thought tariffs caused wars.  Others think tariffs are the best way to raise revenue for the government, far better than income taxes.  Some tariffs still exist today.

A tariff is a tax imposed on imported goods, which are goods brought into our country from another country.  When a foreign country sent goods to the United States, our federal government would impose a "tariff" or surcharge on those goods as a condition for them to be sold in this country.  The more goods we import, the more the revenue from the tariffs.  Tariffs were ultimately replaced by the income tax on individuals as the primary means for supporting our government, because President Woodrow Wilson thought tariffs caused wars.  Others think tariffs are the best way to raise revenue for the government, far better than income taxes.  Some tariffs still exist today.

Our nation's capital was located in marshy land now known as the District of Columbia as a compromise.  Our capital was initially in New York City, but then Hamilton brokered a compromise with Jefferson whereby the capital would move to Philadelphia in 1791 for ten years, and then in D.C. starting in 1800.  In exchange, Hamilton was able to have the federal government assume the war debt.  So Washington suppressed the Whiskey Rebellion by riding from Philadelphia, not from Washington, D.C., because the capital was in Philadelphia at that time.

A tariff often has a protective effect on domestic (United States) businesses by increasing the costs of their competition.  If you owned a factory that produced computers, and there was a tariff imposing a $100 tax on all imported computers, then you would be thrilled because you could undersell the competition and make more profits.  Tariffs were often used to protect developing domestic industries, but were disliked by the South because the tariffs did not help them sell more cotton.  In fact, tariffs hurt them because it made it more costly for the farmers to buy the equipment and other materials they needed to produce their cotton.

 

By 1800 decisions about tariffs and all other federal laws were being made in the marshy land now known as the District of Columbia.  This was a compromise between the North and the South.  Our capital was initially in New York City, but then Hamilton brokered a compromise with Jefferson whereby the capital would move to Philadelphia in 1791 for ten years, and then in D.C. starting in 1800.  In exchange, Hamilton was able to have the federal government assume the war debt.  So Washington suppressed the Whiskey Rebellion by riding from Philadelphia, not from Washington, D.C., because the capital was in Philadelphia at that time.

This class we focus on the period from 1800 to 1840.

This class we focus on the period from 1800 to 1840.