I published an article in The Journal of Libertarian Studies in 2002 arguing that Calhoun’s posture concerning federal power–which had been assertive, though not Hamiltonian–turned on a dime in response to the outcome of the presidential election of 1824. I’ll add that whether Randolph had laid the groundwork is an interesting question; certainly he began to sound more like Randolph, although Randolph rejected Calhoun’s doctrine of Nullification, insisting that a state could secede but not nullify, when the time came. Take a look. (Note: Tom Woods edited that issue.)
