A major economic transformation was spearheaded by the institutionalization of the American System, supported by Henry Clay and many nationalists (Freehling 1965)

The American System as a fuel to the Civil War The American System was a program designed to speed up modernization by collecting higher tariff in order to boost industrialization and commerce. By increasing tariff collection, the federal bank would be strengthened to support industrialists` expansion and development. It appeared as if the south were bled dry with tariffs while these tariffs appeared to be funding the industrialists of the North. The tariff imposed were mainly on exports and imports which are the main economic preoccupation of the South while supporting industries which were mainly coming from the North. Thus the taxation system and tariffication under the American system appeared to be playing favorites (Freehling 1975). The Tariff of 1828 called the...