Calhoun

Calhoun, John Caldwell, 1782-1850, American statesman and political philosopher, b. near Abbeville, S.C., grad. Yale, 1804. He was an intellectual giant of political life in his day.

Early Career

Calhoun studied law under Tapping Reeve at Litchfield, Conn., and began (1808) his public career in the South Carolina legislature. Frontier born, he acquired a large plantation by marrying (1811) his cousin, Floride Calhoun. (Calhoun's plantation, with his house, Fort Hill, is now the campus of Clemson Univ.) Later he came to represent the interests of the Southern planter aristocracy.

A Congressman (1811-17) and acting chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Calhoun was one of the leading "war hawks," who whipped up enthusiasm for the War of 1812. He remained a nationalist for some time after the war, speaking for a strong army and navy, for encouragement of manufacturing, for internal improvements, and for a national bank; many of these causes he later opposed. Calhoun was an efficient Secretary of War (1817-25) under President Monroe.

Vice President

Calhoun first served as Vice President (1825-29) under John Quincy Adams. Throughout Adams's administration he opposed the President and aligned himself with the supporters of Andrew Jackson. An able constitutional lawyer, he made an imposing figure skillfully presiding over the Senate. When the Jacksonians finally triumphed in 1828, Calhoun was again elected Vice President.

It was widely assumed that he would succeed Jackson in office, but relations between the two men soon cooled. Calhoun, prodded by his wife and his supporters, offended the President in the Eaton affair (see O'Neill, Margaret). Jackson finally became furious when he discovered that years before Calhoun had privately denounced Jackson's conduct in Florida while publicly giving the impression that he had supported the general. Primarily, however, Jackson and Calhoun had come to disagree on the nature of the Union.

Nullification

As the preeminent spokesman for the South, Calhoun tried to reconcile the preservation of the Union with the fact that under the Union the South's dominant agricultural economy was being neglected and even injured for the benefit of the ever-increasing commercial and industrial power of the North. When a still higher tariff replaced (1832) the Tariff of Abominations of 1828, he maintained that the Constitution, rightly interpreted, gave a state the power to nullify federal legislation inimical to its interests. He returned to South Carolina, had a state convention called, and directed the passage of the famous ordinance of nullification.

Senator and Advocate of States' Rights

In Dec., 1832, Calhoun quit the vice presidency after being elected to the Senate, where he eloquently defended his states' rights principles in dramatic debates with Daniel Webster. The firmness of Andrew Jackson and the compromise tariff proposed by Henry Clay resolved the nullification crisis in 1833, but the larger issue of states' rights persisted, leading ultimately to secession and the Civil War.

Martin Van Buren, Calhoun's bitter political enemy, held the vice presidency in Jackson's second term and went on to succeed Jackson in the office Calhoun had coveted for many years. As the abolitionists grew stronger in the North, Calhoun became an outspoken apologist for slavery and made every effort to maintain the delicate balance between North and South in the Senate by opposing the prohibition of slavery in newly admitted states. Thus, while serving briefly (1844-45) as Secretary of State under John Tyler, he completed negotiations for the admission of Texas as a slave state, but later tried to avert war with Mexico.

Again (1845-50) in the Senate, he advocated compromise in the Oregon boundary dispute but opposed the admission of California as a free state in the debates over the Compromise of 1850. In rejecting the Wilmot Proviso, Calhoun set forth the theory that all territories were held in common by the states and that the federal government merely served as a trustee of the lands.

Political Philosophy

His Disquisition on Government and Discourse on the Constitution and Government of the United States, both published posthumously, crystallized his political philosophy. The Constitution, he stated, established a government of concurrent majorities composed of two elements—the state governments and the federal government. Hence the states enjoy the power of veto, or nullification, and the right of secession results necessarily from the origin of the Union as a compact among the sovereign parties. His theories attempted to formulate democracy in terms of protection for a minority, specifically, the South, and they were later embodied in the Confederate constitution. Because his ideas are associated with an institution—slavery—offensive to the idealism of most Americans, Calhoun has not been a popular figure in U.S. history.

(born March 18, 1782, Abbeville district, S.C., U.S.—died March 31, 1850, Washington, D.C.) U.S. politician. A graduate of Yale University, he became an ardent Jeffersonian Republican and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives (1811–17). As a leader of the War Hawks, he introduced the declaration of war against Britain in June 1812 (see War of 1812). From 1817 to 1825 he served as U.S. secretary of war. He was elected vice president in 1824 (under John Quincy Adams) and again in 1828 (under Andrew Jackson). In the 1830s he became an extreme advocate of strict construction of the U.S. Constitution, a champion of states' rights, a defender of slavery, and a supporter of nullification. In 1832 he resigned the vice presidency and was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served until 1850; he was briefly secretary of state in 1844–45. His exuberant defense of slavery as a “positive good” aroused strong anti-Southern feeling in the free states.

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(born March 18, 1782, Abbeville district, S.C., U.S.—died March 31, 1850, Washington, D.C.) U.S. politician. A graduate of Yale University, he became an ardent Jeffersonian Republican and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives (1811–17). As a leader of the War Hawks, he introduced the declaration of war against Britain in June 1812 (see War of 1812). From 1817 to 1825 he served as U.S. secretary of war. He was elected vice president in 1824 (under John Quincy Adams) and again in 1828 (under Andrew Jackson). In the 1830s he became an extreme advocate of strict construction of the U.S. Constitution, a champion of states' rights, a defender of slavery, and a supporter of nullification. In 1832 he resigned the vice presidency and was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served until 1850; he was briefly secretary of state in 1844–45. His exuberant defense of slavery as a “positive good” aroused strong anti-Southern feeling in the free states.

Learn more about Calhoun, John C(aldwell) with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Calhoun is a city in Gordon County, Georgia, United States. The population was 10,667 at the 2000 census. The city's rapid growth is evident as the population rose to 13,570 in 2005. The city is the county seat of Gordon County.

Geography

Calhoun is located at (34.499898, -84.942584), along the Oostanaula River. Calhoun is located along U.S. Interstate 75, approximately 70 miles north of Atlanta, GA, and 50 miles south of Chattanooga, TN.

History

Calhoun was a part of the Cherokee Nation (including New Echota, capital of the Cherokee Nation) until December 29,1835. When the Cherokees refused to give up their lands, the U.S. Army was sent by President Jackson to the northern region of Georgia to force them to move to Oklahoma (see more information on Trail of Tears).

After the Cherokees left their lands, Georgia claimed the Cherokee lands that became Gordon County and other counties. A small town called Dawsonville was created and founded in the Gordon County, named for the owner of an early general store. Dawsonville was later renamed Calhoun to honor U.S. Senator John C. Calhoun, following his death in 1850.

Gordon County's inferior court called an election to allow the voters to choose between a site on the Western & Atlantic Railroad (involving Adairsville) or a site more centrally located within the county instead of designating the location of the county seat unlike other counties. Voters chose a site along the railroad, so the inferior court designated Calhoun as county seat in 1851. The legislature incorporated Calhoun in an act approved on January 12, 1852 (See Ga. Laws 1851-52, page 419 as an evidence).

In January 5, 1861, Georgia seceded from the Union. Calhounians joined the Confederacy during the American Civil War. On May 16, 1864, Calhoun was near the center of action as Union General William Tecumseh Sherman and Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston postured before the outbreak of the Battle of Adairsville during Sherman's Atlanta Campaign. Oakleigh, home of Dr. Wall, was saved and used by Sherman as the headquarters at that time.

Roland Hayes, a prominent African American tenor was born in nearby Curryville. Hayes achieved enormous international recognition during his career. After his death, The Roland Hayes Committee was formed in 1990 to advocate the induction of Roland Hayes into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. In 1992, when the Calhoun-Gordon Arts Council was incorporated, the Roland Hayes Committee became the Roland Hayes Music Guild and museum.

Demographics

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 30.2 km² (11.7 mi²). 30.2 km² (11.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.17%) is water.

As of the census of 2000, there were 10,667 people, 4,049 households, and 2,672 families residing in the city. The population density was 353.5/km² (915.4/mi²). There were 4,298 housing units at an average density of 142.4/km² (368.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.91% White, 7.56% African American, 0.42% Native American, 1.00% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 11.61% from other races, and 1.36% from two or more races. 17.07% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 4,049 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $33,618, and the median income for a family was $42,310. Males had a median income of $27,616 versus $25,018 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,887. About 12.5% of families and 16.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.8% of those under age 18 and 19.1% of those age 65 or over.

Calhoun is a home of New Echota Historic Site, a museum of Cherokee Nation capital, Roland Hayes Museum (Calhoun Gordon Arts Council/The Harris Arts Center) and Oakleigh, the home of the Gordon County Historical Society used to be General Sherman's Headquarters.

Calhoun also has one of three Coosa Valley Technical College campuses among Rome and Rockmart, Georgia

Education

Calhoun City Schools

• Calhoun Primary School
• Calhoun Elementary School
• Calhoun Middle School
• Calhoun High School

Radio and TV

Calhoun, Georgia is located in the Atlanta television market, the ninth largest DMA according to Nielsen Media Research. Cable TV service is offered through Comcast Cable which provides one community access channel WEBS cable 3.

There are three radio stations serving Calhoun.

WEBS 1030am / Cable Channel 3 / Oldies {www.webs1030am.com}

WJTH 900am / Country

WJTH 101.7FM / Country

WLOJ 102.9fm / Religious (owned and operated by the Calhoun Seventh-day Adventist Church)

There is also a semi-weekly Newspaper, The Calhoun Times

References

External links

• Calhoun, Georgia web site
• Echota Historic Site web site
• Calhoun-Gordon Arts Council web site
• Roland Hayes Museum web site
• Calhoun Times website