"When Congress enacted the Morrill Act (1861), raising tariffs to unprecedented levels, the South Carolina convention unanimously adopted and Ordinance of Secession..."
Congress enacted the Morill Act in March of 1861, three months after the South Carolina secession. Whoever you're debating might whack you over the head with things like that.
That's true.
South Carolina seceded in December 1860. By the time the Morill Act was passed, seven southern states had seceded, removing 14 key southern senate votes against higher tariffs.
I highly respect Dr. Williams, but he;s misrepresenting the South Carolina Secession Convention if he is suggesting they secdeded in response to the Morill Act or even the immediate prospect of its passage. They seceded because Lincoln won the election of 1860 - and because they could not stomach any of Lincoln's program. And that included restricting slavery, not just high tariffs or a homestead act.
In 1828 and 1832 Congress passed what have been called the Tariffs of Abomination, which were a prosperity boon to the North and an economic hardship on the South, especially South Carolina. This led to the Nullification Crisis of 1832 when South Carolina called a state convention and 'nullified' the tariffs as unjust and unconstitutional. The resulting constitutional crisis came very near provoking armed conflict at that time. Through the efforts of former U. S. Vice President and U. S. Senator from South Carolina, John C. Calhoun, a compromise was effected in 1833 which over a few years reduced the tariff back to a normal level of about 15%. Henry Clay and the Whigs were not happy, however, to have been forced into a compromise by Calhoun and South Carolina's Nullification threat. The tariff, however, remained at a level near 15% until 1860.
In May of 1860 the U. S. Congress passed the Morrill Tariff Bill [named for Republican Congressman and steel manufacturer, Justin S. Morrill of Vermont] raising the average tariff from about 15% to 37% with increases to 47% within three years. This was reminiscent and even higher than the Tariffs of Abomination of 1828 and 1832, which had led to a constitutional crisis and threats of secession and armed force. The vote in the U. S. House of Representatives was 105 to 64. Out of 40 Southern Congressmen only one Tennessee Congressman voted for it. High protective tariffs were always the policy of the old Whig Party and had become the policy of the new Republican Party that replaced it.
The Morrill Tariff Act was passed by Congress in 1860, before Lincoln was elected. Lincoln signed the bill into law shortly after taking office in March of 1861.
Williams' contention that the Morrill Tariff prompted South Carolina's secession is correct.
Prof. Williams might be an adequate economist, but he had proven to be a terrible historian.