Historians In Awe Over Discovery At Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello Property

Calhoun Argued That Slavery Was “Good”

John C. Calhoun was the seventh Vice President of the United States under President John Quincy Adams and later Andrew Jackson. He was a super-strong proponent of slavery. At the beginning of his career, where he particularly strategized in political theory, he was a nationalist and a champion of a strong national government. However, his views later pretty much flipped and he became a proponent of states’ rights.

He particularly was known to defend white Southern interest from the North. A lot of his theory formed the basis for the South’s secession from the United States. He also served as the Secretary of State under John Tyler. He continued to defend white Southern beliefs throughout his life, which included owning dozens of slaves in South Carolina. He also tried to argue that slavery was “a positive good” that actually benefitted the black people who were enslaved.