The congressional record indicates that a tariff with average rates of about 18% was enacted federally in 1857 and stayed in place until it was doubled in 1861, and then raised again to over 45%.
Buy American. You won't pay a penny.
" Antebellum Americans had been one of the most lightly taxed peoples on earth. And the per capita burden in the South had been only half that in the free states. Except for tariff duties-which despite Southern complaints were lower in the late 1850's than they had been for more than 50 years- virtually all taxes were collected by state and local governments."
--Battle Cry of Freedom, James McPherson
Walt
If that American good costs a $1, and the same product from abroad costs 50 cents, you end up paying 50 pennies.