Insight into 1870 tariff debate: a careful, evidence-based examination of the last report on revenue and industry
This edition presents the committee’s methodical review of the Special Commissioner of Revenue’s findings. It highlights how the majority examined numbers, sources, and claims about tariffs, production costs, and national progress. The document contrasts the Commissioner's conclusions with actual manufacturing experience and government data from 1869.
- Learn how the committee challenged specific cost figures, including pig iron production costs and regional estimates.
- See how testimony from Tennessee iron manufacturers and other sources was used to test the Commissioner's conclusions.
- Understand the scope and limits of the Commissioner's duties under the 1866 act and how those duties shaped the critique.
- Get a snapshot of the 1870 debate on tariffs, mining, and manufacturing within a broader push for industrial independence.
Ideal for readers of American economic history and readers curious about how 19th-century lawmakers scrutinized official reports and data.