South Carolina Nullification, State Of The Union January 16, 1833. State of the Union. Message from the president of the United States, on the state of the Union. Read, and referred to the committee on the Judiciary. In my annual message, at the commencement of your present session, I adverted to the opposition to the revenue laws in a particular quarter of the United States [South Carolina], which threatened not merely to thwart their execution, but to endanger the integrity of the Union. The South Carolina Nullification crisis is commonly known as a precursor to the state’s secession 30 years later, as it represented a fundamental shift away from the federal government and back to state rights. While the causes of the Civil War can be debated to no end, this is unquestionably a significant action which contributed to the rebellion, or rather, represented the mindset of southerners. This copy is unique because it likely belonged to a South Carolina senator who would have been present present for the actual state of the Union address. Initials RM can be seen at the top, likely Richard Irving Manning I who was serving as the Senator for the Claredon district of South Carolina. He also writes “Anti Nullification inhouse”. While I cannot be 100% certain that this belonged to Manning, I think it is highly likely due to the text present, the initials, and the fact that this would have belonged to a representative or senator. I did not see any other representatives or senators with initials RM. Pages are variably browned, with about 10 having very heavy browning as pictured. The rest are light. An amazing piece of American history that can fit almost any collection involving politics, history, Americana, etc. Let me know if you have any questions or if you would like more photos.
