The Tariff of 1828, also called The Tariff of Abominations by southern detractors, was a protective tariff that consisted on a 38% tax on 92% of all imported goods. This was meant to help the Northern states economy but it also impacted negatively on Southern states that now had to pay much higher prices for goods that they did not produce. So I believe the correct answer is "they divided the nation over the placement".
