The Compromise Tariff of 1833 was a United States federal law enacted during the Nullification Crisis. It served to gradually reduce tariff rates following strong objections from Southern states, particularly South Carolina, which threatened to secede from the Union over the high tariffs established in earlier legislation.
This legislative measure alleviated tensions between the North and South by scaling back the protective tariffs that favored Northern manufacturing interests at the expense of the Southern agricultural economy. Its significance lies in its temporary resolution of the tariff dispute, delaying a more decisive confrontation over states’ rights and economic policy that would eventually erupt in the Civil War. The compromise offered a pathway to de-escalate a volatile political situation that threatened the stability of the nation.