John Caldwell Calhoun was a major American political figure before the
Civil War. At various times, he was a member of the
United States House of Representatives and
United States Senate, as well as serving as secretary of state, secretary of war, and Vice-President.
Calhoun enter the United States House of Representatives in 1811, serving until 1817. As one of the War Hawks, he advocated the War of 1812. Afterwards, he improved the organization of the army while secretary of war from 1817 to 1825. He was Vice-President under both John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. His sectionalist views encouraged South Carolina to nullify the tariff in 1832, bringing about a constitutional crisis. Calhoun resigned as Vice-President to enter the United States Senate from South Carolina. He agreed to Henry Clay's compromise arrangement of 1833. He left the senate to serve as secretary of state under John Tyler, returning to the senate in 1845 where he remained until his death. His later years were marked by strong support for the extension of slavery. He opposed the Mexican American War. He died in 1850.
