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'''John Caldwell Calhoun''' ([[March 18]], [[1782]]{{snd}}[[March 31]], [[1850]]) was an American politician and political theorist during the first half of the 19th century. Hailing from [[South Carolina]], Calhoun began his political career as a nationalist, modernizer, and proponent of a strong national government and [[protectionism|protective tariffs]]. After 1830, his views evolved and he became a greater proponent of [[states' rights]], [[limited government]], [[Nullification (U.S. Constitution)|nullification]] and [[free trade]]; as he saw these means as the only way to preserve the Union. He is known for his intense and original defense of [[slavery in the United States|slavery]] as a positive good, his distrust of [[majoritarianism]], and for leading the South toward [[Secession in the United States|secession from the Union]].
Calhoun served as a member of the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] and [[United States Senate|Senate]], as the [[List of Vice Presidents of the United States|seventh]] [[Vice President of the United States]], and as secretary of war and state. He usually affiliated with the [[History of the Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]], but flirted with the [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig Party]]. As a "war hawk", he strongly supported the [[War of 1812]] to defend American honor against Britain. As Secretary of War under President [[James Monroe]], he reorganized and modernized the War Department. He ran for president in [[United States presidential election, 1824|1824]], but decided to run for vice-president instead early in the election, and won; serving under [[John Quincy Adams]]. He also continued his term under [[Andrew Jackson]], who defeated Adams for re-election. However, Calhoun had a difficult relationship with Jackson during his term, which culminated in the [[Peggy Eaton Affair]]. Calhoun resigned in 1832, and entered the [[United States Senate|Senate]]. Shortly after [[Martin Van Buren]] was elected as Jackson's new vice-president. Calhoun was the first of two vice-presidents to resign (the second being [[Spiro Agnew]] in 1973), and the second and last vice-president to have served under two presidents, after [[George Clinton (vice president)|George Clinton]]. As [[John Tyler|John Tyler's]] Secretary of State, Calhoun sought the Democratic nomination for the presidency in [[United States presidential election, 1844|1844]], but lost to surprise nominee [[James K. Polk]].
