Debate Facilitator Guide Debate Facilitator Guide
Lesson: Tariff Tussle
Time Required 50 MIN
Objective
Students will evaluate the effectiveness of the Tariff Act of 1789 by participating in a mock Congressional debate, analyzing the conflicting economic interests of the early United States.
Lesson Pacing
05 min Warm-up: Quick-write on the ethics of taxing foreign goods during national debt.
10 min Viewing: Watch the video segment (1:58-4:07) and define "Tariff."
25 min Activity: Prep and hold the Mock Congressional Debate.
10 min Closure: Vote on the Act and discuss historical outcomes.
Key Vocabulary
Tariff: A tax on imported goods.
Protectionism: Shielding domestic industry from foreign competition.
Revenue: Income generated by the government.
Materials Needed
Tariff Tussle Slides
Student Packets
Scissors (for role cards)
Timer
Step-by-Step Facilitation
1 The Quick-Write (Warm-up)
Display the slide with the prompt: "If your country was in debt, would you tax foreign goods even if it made things more expensive for your people?"
Discussion Prompt: After 3 minutes of writing, ask 2-3 students to share. Focus on the trade-off between helping the government pay debt and the individual cost to the consumer.
2 Video Analysis
Play the video from 1:58 to 4:07 . Use the "Prediction Pause" at 3:10. Ask: "How can a brand new nation with zero money generate cash immediately?"
Teacher Note: Ensure students understand that in 1789, there was no income tax. Tariffs were the primary source of revenue for the federal government.
3 The Great Debate Setup
Divide the class into two sides of the room. Distribute the Student Packets.
Team A: Northern Manufacturers
Goal: Argue for High Tariffs. Focus on protecting new factories, independence from Britain, and paying off national debt.
Team B: Southern Planters
Goal: Argue for Low/No Tariffs. Focus on the high cost of imports, the reliance on trade with Europe, and the unfair burden on agricultural states.
4 Debate Protocol
Opening Statements (2 min each): Each team presents their strongest case using evidence from the primary sources.Rebuttal Round (1 min each): Teams address the other side's points.Closing Arguments (1 min each): Final plea to Congress.
5 The Vote & Closure
Conduct a hand-vote. Ask: "If you were actually in the 1789 Congress, how would you vote?" Reveal the historical outcome: The act passed, providing 90% of the government's revenue until the Civil War.
Historical Context for Teachers
Alexander Hamilton's Vision:
Hamilton (Treasury Secretary) saw tariffs as more than just money; they were a tool for "National Greatness." He wanted to transform the U.S. from a farming nation into an industrial powerhouse that could compete with the British Empire.
The Southern Resistance:
Southerners like Jefferson and Madison worried that tariffs were a "hidden tax" that benefited the wealthy North while making basic goods (like tools and clothing) expensive for Southern farmers who exported their crops globally.
Tariff Tussle Slides TARIFF TUSSLE
Charting the Course of the New Nation's Economy
Quick-Write
"If your country was in debt, would you tax foreign goods even if it made things more expensive for your people?"
5 Minutes
The New Nation
Why did the U.S. need to industrialize in 1789?
WATCH: 1:58 - 4:07
Embedded media
What is a Tariff?
A tax on goods or services imported from another country.
Why do it?
Raise money (Revenue) to pay debts.
Protect young U.S. businesses.
Foreign Goods
TAXED! $$$
A Nation Divided
NORTHERNERS
"Protect our factories!"
High tariffs mean British goods are expensive, so people buy American! We pay our debts and grow rich.
SOUTHERNERS
"Don't tax our tools!"
We sell crops to Europe. If we tax imports, everything we need becomes expensive. It's unfair!
Preparation Phase
01
Read Roles
Read your Role Card and the Primary Source excerpts in your packet.
02
Find Evidence
Identify 3 strong reasons why a tariff helps OR hurts your livelihood.
03
Plan Rebuttals
What will the other side say? How will you prove them wrong?
YOU HAVE 10 MINUTES TO PREPARE
Now in Session
THE FIRST CONGRESS
Presiding Officer The Teacher
Subject Tariff Act of 1789
Begin Debate!
The Moment of Truth
History recorded that the Act passed on July 4th, 1789. It was the first major act of the new government.
Historical Effect
It provided 90% of the government's money for decades and jumpstarted U.S. manufacturing.
The Question
Did it help the Country or just the North? Discuss.
Congressional Debate Pack Official Congressional Record | 1st Congress
Name: _________________________________
Date: __________________________________
The Tariff Act of 1789
Debate Prep & Evidence Packet
Your Assignment
Role A: Northern Manufacturer
You own a young iron foundry in Pennsylvania. Your biggest problem? British iron is being sold in the U.S. at "dumping" prices—so cheap you can't compete. You need the government to tax those imports so people buy yours instead.
Goal: Support the Tariff to protect American industry and pay national debt.
Role B: Southern Planter
You own a large tobacco farm in Virginia. You sell your crops to Europe and buy most of your tools and clothes from Britain. A tariff makes your business more expensive while only helping the factory owners in the North.
Goal: Oppose the Tariff to keep costs low for farmers and maintain trade.
1. Pre-Debate Brainstorm
Based on your role above, what are three reasons you will support or oppose the tariff?
Reason 1: __________________________________________________________________________________________
Reason 2: __________________________________________________________________________________________
Reason 3: __________________________________________________________________________________________
Evidence from the Founders
The Federalist Perspective Alexander Hamilton, 1791
Report on Manufactures
"The safety and prosperity of the United States are connected with the encouragement of manufacture... Not only the wealth but the independence and security of a country appear to be materially connected with the prosperity of manufactures."
Translation: For America to be truly free from Britain, we must make our own goods. Helping factories helps the whole country's safety.
The Anti-Federalist Perspective Thomas Jefferson, 1785
Notes on the State of Virginia
"While we have land to labor then, let us never wish to see our citizens occupied at a work-bench... for the general operations of manufacture, let our workshops remain in Europe. It is better to carry provisions and materials to workmen there, than bring them to the work here."
Translation: America should be a nation of farmers. Manufacturing in cities causes corruption. It's better to keep farming and buy our finished goods from Europe.
The Consumer Complaint Southern Farmer Perspective
The Price of Protection
"This tariff is a tax upon the many for the benefit of the few. It forces the farmer of the South to pay a high price for his plow, his axe, and his clothing, so that the factory owner in the North may grow wealthy at his expense."
