What was the main issue during the Nullification Crisis?

The main issue during the Nullification Crisis was the conflict between states' rights and federal authority. This crisis occurred in the 1830s when South Carolina declared that it had the right to nullify federal tariffs that it deemed unconstitutional, particularly the Tariff of 1828 and the Tariff of 1832.

South Carolina argued that as a sovereign state, it had the authority to invalidate federal laws that it believed infringed upon its rights. This belief was rooted in the doctrine of states' rights, which posited that states had the power to challenge or reject federal laws. This standoff escalated to the point where President Andrew Jackson had to assert federal authority, ultimately leading to a compromise and the lowering of tariffs, but not before it tested the limits of federal power and the concept of state sovereignty in the United States.

The other issues mentioned, such as the debate over slavery in the territories, disputes over the national bank's policies, and economic tensions between the North and South, were significant in their own right but were not the focal point of the Nullification Crisis. The core conflict centered specifically around the balance of power between state governments and the federal government, making the issue of states' rights versus federal authority the correct answer.