As President Donald Trump enacts and pauses tariffs on imported goods, the back and forth can be overwhelming — that's where it can be helpful to take a step back, because arguments about whether or not to tax imports are actually centuries old.

Historically, tariffs have been a topic of debate in the U.S. since their founding in the late 1700s.

“There have always been proponents of free trade versus protectionism, and maybe the jury is still out or at least there has never been a definitive answer," said Susan Buttaccio, librarian III and manager of special collections at the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library.

A book from 1828, the year of the infamous "Tariff of Abominations," puts it bluntly: “‘Erroneous,’ so they’re saying this is not good for American trade and that it’s ‘founded in false principles that rest upon an imperfect view of the operations of trade,' ” said Buttaccio.

Buttaccio says these primary sources from the early days of the U.S. can add context to the debate.

Fast forward nearly 200 years, and we’ve seen the implementation of free trade thrive following World War II and now a bounce back to tariffs with Trump’s administrations.

Historians say it's a cycle the American government has perpetuated time and time again, but it's now happening in a technologically advanced world.

“President Trump is hoping that by imposing tariffs on other countries that it'll bring domestic manufacturing back, and whether or not it will is going to be something that's going to take years to observe," said Scott Laing, clinical assistant professor of finance at the University at Buffalo.

Tariffs can be implemented to incentivize consumers and businesses to shop locally, increase revenue for the government and influence economic policy. When the U.S. puts a tariff on goods from another country, the U.S. pays that additional fee, which is then passed on to individual consumers.

One problem lies in whether or not the consumer has the option to shop local, as it can take years to establish factories for some goods, and other goods cannot be produced here at all.

“We can't grow coffee beans. We can't grow bananas. We can't manufacture lumber at a price that's competitive with Canada," said Laing. “If you're a low-income consumer, you're going to feel your wallet stretched a little thin. Maybe it's for the long-term good. Maybe another president comes in and reverses all the pain you've felt for years. It's hard to say.” 

Buttaccio says when things become difficult to understand, it can help to take a trip to the library.

“Doing your own research is really empowering over just accepting what Google tells you," she said.