My understanding is that the 17th Amendment changed everything, tipping the balance away from the States and toward ever increasing federal power.
I’d say that Lincoln had the biggest role in relegating the states as minor players. Andrew Jackson might have earned that position in the South Carolina nullification controversy but it became a moot issue before any shots were fired.
Part of the now-forgotten push for direct election of Senators was the perception that Senators were being selected by power brokers that represented campaign donors instead of the people of the states. Pretty much the same situation that has everyone furious with the GOPe. The 17th Amendment was probably just an ineffective attempt to deal with a perennial problem.