The Grave of John C. Calhoun

This is the grave of one of the most influential men in 19th Century America. He was Secretary of War, Senator, Vice President, Secretary of State, and was one of the ‘Great Triumvirate’. One of the most significant parts of his career was when he led the SC states rights movement against the federal tariffs of 1828 and 1832. This was called the Nullification Crisis, and almost triggered the invasion of SC by President Jackson. Henry Clay (also one of the great triumvirate) negotiated the compromise of 1833 and kept the peace… but the tensions between North and South continued to run high, and it was less than 30 years later that war became unavoidable.