John C. Calhoun (1782-1850) was an American statesman and political theorist from South Carolina who served as both a member of the United States [[House of Representatives]] and the [[Senate]], as well as the seventh Vice President of the United States. Calhoun was a leading figure in American politics during the first half of the 19th century and is best known for his strong defense of states' rights and the institution of [[slavery]]. John Caldwell Calhoun was born on March 18, 1782, in Abbeville District, South Carolina, to a family of Scots-Irish immigrants. He was initially homeschooled, then attended local schools before enrolling at Yale College in 1802. After graduating from Yale with honors in 1804, Calhoun studied law at the Tapping Reeve Law School in Litchfield, Connecticut. In 1807, he was admitted to the South Carolina bar and began practicing law. ## Political career Calhoun's political career began when he was elected to the South Carolina state legislature in 1808. In 1811, he was elected to the United States [[House of Representatives]], where he served until 1817. During his time in the House, Calhoun was a proponent of the War of 1812 and a strong advocate of American [[nationalism]]. In 1817, President James Monroe appointed Calhoun as Secretary of War, a position he held until 1825. As Secretary, Calhoun oversaw significant military reforms and the development of a national defense strategy. In 1824, Calhoun was elected Vice President of the United States under President John Quincy Adams. He was reelected in 1828, serving under President [[Andrew Jackson]]. However, Calhoun's relationship with Jackson soured over personal and political disagreements, including the [[nullification]] Crisis, in which Calhoun supported South Carolina's right to nullify federal tariffs. As a result, Calhoun resigned as Vice President in 1832. ## John C. Calhoun: Staunch advocate of slavery Following his resignation, Calhoun was elected to the United States Senate, where he served until 1843 and then again from 1845 until his death in 1850. During his time in the [[Senate]], Calhoun became a leading voice for Southern interests, advocating for states' rights, limited government, and the protection of slavery. He was a key architect of the Nullification Doctrine and a vocal critic of the growing [[abolitionist]] movement in the North. In 1844, Calhoun briefly served as Secretary of State under President John Tyler, during which time he helped negotiate the annexation of Texas. John C. Calhoun died on March 31, 1850, in Washington, D.C. He is remembered as a champion of states' rights and one of the leading proponents of the "positive good" theory of [[slavery]], which argued that slavery was beneficial for both the enslaved and the slaveholders. Calhoun's beliefs and ideas contributed to the growing divide between the North and the South, which eventually culminated in the American [[Civil War]].