Which significant event in US history reflects the challenges of federal authority versus state rights during the early 19th century?

The Nullification Crisis is a significant event that illustrates the tension between federal authority and states' rights in the early 19th century. This conflict emerged in the 1830s when South Carolina sought to nullify federal tariffs, which they believed unfairly favored northern industries at the expense of southern economies. The crisis escalated as South Carolina declared the tariffs void within the state and threatened to secede from the Union if the federal government attempted to enforce them.

This event underscores the ongoing debate regarding the limits of federal power versus the rights of individual states. The federal government's response, which included the use of military force as a show of authority, highlighted the delicate balance of power between the national and state governments. Ultimately, the resolution of the Nullification Crisis reaffirmed the supremacy of federal law, although it did not fully quell the ongoing disputes over states' rights that would continue to simmer leading up to the Civil War.

The other historical events mentioned also involve conflicts related to authority and governance, but they do not encapsulate this specific tension between federal and state powers as clearly as the Nullification Crisis does.