Final answer:
Southern states, like South Carolina, would likely oppose Henry Clay's American System due to the proposed protective tariff and federally funded internal improvements.
Step-by-step explanation:
Southern states, like South Carolina, would likely respond to Henry Clay's American System with opposition. The American System included a protective tariff, which would have increased taxes on imported goods, benefiting Northern manufacturers but potentially hurting Southern agricultural interests. Additionally, the American System proposed internal improvements, such as canals and roads, which would have required federal funding. Southern states, particularly those heavily reliant on agriculture and exportation, would have been skeptical of using federal funds for projects that did not directly benefit their economies. Therefore, South Carolina and other southern states would have most likely opposed Henry Clay's American System.