John Paul Calhoun

John Calhoun was an influential American politician and political theorist in the 19th century. Born in 1782, he served as Vice President under both John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. A strong advocate for states' rights and slaveholding interests, Calhoun argued for the protection of minority interests against majority rule. His doctrine of "nullification" suggested that states could invalidate federal laws they deemed unconstitutional. A key figure in the lead-up to the Civil War, Calhoun's ideas on federalism and state sovereignty continue to spark debate in American politics today. He passed away in 1850.