In October and November of 1830, dual proclamations between the United States and Great Britain opened trade in the British West Indies gaining American merchants the privilege of disposing of American produce in the Colonies and exporting their goods to any other Country in the World. It became known as Jackson's "Reciprocity of 1830". Unfortunately, almost immediately after the conclusion of these deals, Great Britain imposed discriminating duties designed to favor the British Colonies in North America and Canada. The controversy made for much fodder for Jackson's opponents and the opposition newspapers of the day.
During the administration of John Quincy Adams, direct trade with the British West Indies had been shut down. This became a heated election issue during the 1828 election, Jackson's supporters and perhaps Jackson himself capitalized on this by making campaign pledges to reopen trade with the British West Indies for American merchants. To make good on his pledge, Jackson reversed course on trade in 1829 and unilaterally opened up America’s ports to Great Britain in the hope that it would improve trade relations and allow a new trade deal to be negotiated. Jackson appointed former Senators Louis McClane to be Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary and instructed him to make a clean break from the Adams administration disregarding any issues that were currently under dispute. In order to remove any unfavorable impressions left by the Adam's administration, Secretary of State Martin Van Buren authorized McLane to acknowledge the right of Great Britain to impose protective duties on her colonies withdraw demand that British ships entering the United States from the British West Indies must return directly back to the Islands. The biggest sign that Jackson was reversing course, was contained in a note by Van Buren where he instructed McClane to communicate to Great Britain that the views held by the previous administration had been repudiated by the people. With these instructions, McLane began a series of negotiations with Great Britain to reopen trade with the British West Indies and other British Colonies.
As the negotiations lingered on and little news was reported, the opponent of Jackson denounced the attacks on the Adams administration as derogatory and accused McLane as being outwitted by the British. Meanwhile, even Jackson himself was getting impatient and urged McLane to get a final decision from the British Government on opening trade before Congress adjourned. McLane continued to suggest that the British Government was nearing a positive decision, but deadlines continued to pass. As the adjournment of Congress approached in May of 1839 with no reply from the British government, Jackson submitted to Congress an urgent message to request the help of Congress by "authorizing the President, in case an arrangement can be effected upon such terms as Congress would approve to carry the same into effect on our part by proclamation". The message was sent to the House Committee on Commerce where a resolution was adopted and then sent to the House where it passed by a vote of 105 to 28 on May 29, 1830. The act gave the President the authority to open the ports of the United States indefinitely or for a fixed term whenever satisfactory evidence was received that the British Government was opening its colonial ports in the West Indies and other Islands off coast of South America.
Both the President's message and the reaction of Congress was greeted with harsh criticism and ridicule from the Opposition Press. The secret session and the whole affair was called a "ridiculous affair", a "hoax" and "Presidential Humbuggery" (Benns 174). Despite rumors of blundering diplomacy, President Jackson issued a proclamation on October 5th where he announced that British vessels and their cargo would now be admitted into the ports of the United States. By the same proclamation, Jackson also declared that the American trade acts of 1818, 1820 and 1823 were all to be absolutely repealed. On November 5, 1830 a British Order in Council revoked the previous order from 1826 and opened the British possessions abroad to American vessels. American vessels were now free to enter the British West Indies with American produce. After disposing of their cargo, the same American vessels were free to export goods and produce of the British West Indies and depart to any country in the world. Such were the privileges gained by American merchants in the deal that was called the "Reciprocity of 1830".
Unfortunately, almost immediately after the "Reciprocity of 1830" was concluded, the House of Commons imposed discriminating duties on her colonies in favor of domestic goods and produce. The duties were intended to not only protect the products of the British Canadian provinces, but also to force an indirect trade to the British West Indies through them. It was a major blow to American shipping interests by transferring much of the export of products through the North American colonies. Because of this, Jackson's "Reciprocity of 1830" continued to be attacked by his opposition, especially in states like New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine including some of Jackson's fiercest opponents like Senator Daniel Webster. On December 6, 1831 Jackson personally weighed in on the controversy via his third State of the Union Address. In his address, Jackson wrote that no more needed to be written about it, than that the "prosecution and "denial" had given rise to productive arrangement "of mutual good feeling and amicable relations between the two countries". Rather than try to refute all the rumors and accusations out there, Jackson simply shared the fruits of the arrangement authorized by Congress. Since the arrangement, trade had significantly increased. Almost 30,000 tons of American goods compared to 15,000 tons of foreign goods were being new exported. Furthermore, despite the discriminating duties imposed by Great Britain, the farmers from states and territories along the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes were benefiting from increased trade with Canada. Jackson suggested that this increase in trade more than offset the loss sustained "by the discrimination made to favor the trade of the northern colonies with the West Indies."
"Of the claims upon England it is unnecessary to speak further than to say that the state of things to which their prosecution and denial gave rise has been succeeded by arrangements productive of mutual good feeling and amicable relations between the two countries, which it is hoped will not be interrupted. One of these arrangements is that relating to the colonial trade which was communicated to Congress at the last session; and although the short period during which it has been in force will not enable me to form an accurate judgment of its operation, there is every reason to believe that it will prove highly beneficial. The trade thereby authorized has employed to [1831-09-30] upward of 30K tons of American and 15K tons of foreign shipping in the outward voyages, and in the inward nearly an equal amount of American and 20K only of foreign tonnage. Advantages, too, have resulted to our agricultural interests from the state of the trade between Canada and our Territories and States bordering or the St. Lawrence and the Lakes which may prove more than equivalent to the loss sustained by the discrimination made to favor the trade of the northern colonies with the West Indies."
References
Presidency.ucsb.edu. (2019). Third Annual Message | The American Presidency Project. [online] Available at: https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/third-annual-message-3 [Accessed 30 May 2019].
Bens, F. (1923). The American Struggle for the British West India Carrying-trade, 1815-1830, Volume 10, Issues 55-60. Great Britain: Univ. Bookstore, pp.163-188.
Loc.gov. (1830). Acts of the Twenty-First Congress of the United States. [online] Available at: https://www.loc.gov/law/help/statutes-at-large/21st-congress/c21.pdf [Accessed 30 May 2019].
Miller Center. (2019). October 5, 1830: Proclamation Regarding the Opening of United States Ports to British Vessels | Miller Center. [online] Available at: https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/october-5-1830-proclamation-regarding-opening-united-states [Accessed 30 May 2019].
Wagner, D. (2019). 1830 Andrew Jackson - First Successful Trade Negotiations with Great Britain. [online] Stateoftheunionhistory.com. Available at: http://www.stateoftheunionhistory.com/2019/01/1829-andrew-jackson-first-successful.html [Accessed 30 May 2019].
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