Morrill Tariff

About Morrill Tariff

The Morrill Tariff of 1861 was a high protective tariff passed just before the Civil War. The tariff raised average rates to approximately 26 percent. Southern states had long opposed high tariffs, and the Morrill Tariff was one of the grievances cited by Southern states in their declarations of secession. After the war, high tariffs remained Republican policy for decades. The tariff was a major source of federal revenue until the income tax was introduced in 1913. Tariff policy was one of the most contentious political issues in the late 19th century, pitting industrial Northern interests against agricultural Southern and Western interests. William McKinley, before becoming president, was known for the McKinley Tariff of 1890, which raised rates to nearly 50 percent.