John C Essay

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Sidney Schmitz
Lee/Nichols
Social Studies/Language Arts
23 October 2014
John C. Calhoun

According to Merriam­Webster Dictionary, the definition of nullify is, “To make legally

null and void”. John C. Calhoun had a major role in the nullification of national laws. In addition to nullification, John Calhoun is also credited with strongly supporting the South and the
Southern ways of life. Let us find out more information about this stubborn political figure.
Calhoun had a very depressing childhood, until he got a really strong education. He was born on March 18, 1782 near Long Canes Creek in South Carolina. The Calhoun family was very Presbyterian and their motto was “Life is a struggle against evil. They used equal intensity in working on the farm and in prayer. Calhoun grew up as the fourth child, so until he reached age 13 he was barely literate. He only received irregular education for a few months each year.
Calhoun attempted to educate himself, but was unsuccessful in this endeavor. (Gale Student
Resources in Context, John C. Calhoun) From this information one can conclude that Calhoun had a very depressing and hard childhood. A school was opened by Calhoun’s brother in­law which changed his life forever.

Calhoun’s education was opened up immensely after he attended his first “real school”.

Calhoun was accepted to Yale where he studied law, philosophy, history, and literature. He practiced law in Abbeville for several years, while also studying Latin, Greek, and the classics

(Gale Student Resources in Context, John C. Calhoun). Calhoun realized through his experiences at Yale that his intellectual abilities exceeded his classmates. He earned the respect of Yale’s president, Timothy Dwight, who actually predicted that one day Calhoun would be the president of the United States. In 1804, Calhoun graduated from Yale with the highest honors in his class.
(senate.gov) One can assume that Calhoun was very persistent and driven in his learning, and took his education really seriously. While Calhoun’s education was extremely interesting, it cannot compare to his lengthy governmental career.

John Calhoun’s career in the government was a long 40 year process. In 1808, Calhoun

served in the State Legislature, but was moved up the House of Representatives during the War of 1812. In 1817 he was appointed Secretary of War under James Monroe. During the election of
1824, Calhoun ran as a presidential candidate, but settled for vice president beneath John Quincy
Adams. In the election of 1828, Calhoun was re­elected vice president for President Andrew
Jackson , which was more important than his first term. Two months before his vice presidency was up in 1832, Calhoun resigned and entered the Senate to lead the fight against the president’s policies. On March 3, 1843 Calhoun decided to retire from the Senate to the comfort of his home. However, President John Tyler had other plans and in 1844, Calhoun became Tyler’s
Secretary of State. Calhoun entered the Senate in November of 1845 where he opposed war with
Mexico, and he remained in the Senate until he fell very ill and died on March 31, 1850.
(senate.gov) From the information given one can draw the conclusion that Calhoun was a passionate politician, and never faltered in difficult situations. Because Calhoun had such a continuous career in government, he was given the opportunity to accomplish many great things.

Calhoun was an influential southern statesman whose greatest accomplishment was leading the nullification movement. As a young man Calhoun was a leader of the War Hawks, a group of men who pushed for war with Britain in 1812. While Calhoun was Secretary of State for President Monroe, he reduced the war debt from $45 million to only $3 million. During
Calhoun’s time as Vice President he encouraged a national bank and endorsed a protective tariff, until it hit his home state of South Carolina. The issues in South
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