The Old South hated the tariff—but could it have been a “cause” of the civil war, given how the North rammed protective tariffs ... in political economic history. So, these days, is why ...

President Donald Trump’s use of tariffs in his second term defies many historical norms, say economists and historians.

That may lead some to wonder: How have tariffs been wielded through U.S. history, and is Trump unique ... known as the Smoot-Hawley Tariff, levied protective tariffs on roughly 800 to 900 ...

Since then, the U.S. has used tariffs to achieve three broad goals, said Douglas Irwin, an economics professor at Dartmouth College and past president of the Economic History Association.