Walker Tariff of 1846

E306550

The Walker Tariff of 1846 was a major U.S. revenue-focused tariff law that significantly reduced protectionist duties, reflecting the Democratic Party’s free-trade principles during James K. Polk’s presidency.

All labels observed (4)

Label Occurrences
Walker Tariff of 1846 canonical 3
Walker Tariff 2
Tariff of 1846 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal tariff law
revenue tariff
trade liberalization measure
associatedWithAdministration Presidency of James K. Polk
surface form: James K. Polk administration
cameIntoEffect 1846
considered major victory for free-trade advocates
country United States of America
surface form: United States
dateSigned 1846-07-30
economicEffect increased customs revenue
reduced protectionism
stimulated foreign trade
enactedIn 1846
enactedUnderPresident James K. Polk
followedBy Morrill Tariff
historicalContext Democratic free-trade program of the 1840s
Presidency of James K. Polk
surface form: Polk presidency
historicalEra Antebellum period
surface form: Antebellum United States
ideologicalOppositionTo American System (economic plan)
surface form: American System protectionism
increasedImportsFrom Europe
Great Britain
legalForm Act of Congress
legislativeBody United States Congress
longTermSignificance marked shift away from high protective tariffs in mid-19th century United States
namedAfter Robert J. Walker
officeHeldByProposer Secretary of the Treasury
surface form: United States Secretary of the Treasury
opposedBy Northern industrial interests
Whig Party
surface form: Whig Party politicians
policyType revenue-only tariff
tariff reduction
politicalPartyContext Democratic Party
precededBy Tariff of 1842
primaryPurpose raise federal revenue
proposedBy Robert J. Walker
reducedAverageTariffRateFrom approximately 32 percent
reducedAverageTariffRateTo approximately 25 percent
reducedProtectionFor American manufacturers
reflectsIdeology free trade
low-tariff policy
replaced Tariff of 1842
secondaryPurpose reduce protectionist duties
signedBy James K. Polk
subjectMatter customs duties
foreign imports
supportedBy Southern planters
Western farmers
tariffStructure ad valorem duties

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (7)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Support for the Walker Tariff of 1846 involves Walker Tariff of 1846
Robert J. Walker knownFor Walker Tariff of 1846
Robert J. Walker authored Walker Tariff of 1846
this entity surface form: Walker Tariff proposal
Compromise Tariff of 1833 followedBy Walker Tariff of 1846
Tariff of 1857 follows Walker Tariff of 1846
this entity surface form: Walker Tariff
Tariff of 1857 follows Walker Tariff of 1846
this entity surface form: Tariff of 1846
Tariff of 1857 precededBy Walker Tariff of 1846
this entity surface form: Walker Tariff