Daniel Webster

Daniel Webster (1782-1852) was a leading American politician in the Second Party System, famous for his oratory, his legal and diplomatic skills, and his efforts to avoid the Civil War in the name of American nationalism. He was a leader of the Whig Party, representing New Hampshire in Congress then becoming Senator from Massachusetts.

Legacy

Webster's "Reply to Hayne" in 1830 was generally regarded as "the most eloquent speech ever delivered in Congress," and was a stock exercise for oratory students for 75 years.

Bibliography

• Bartlett, Irving H. Daniel Webster (1978) online edition
• Baxter, Maurice G. Daniel Webster and the Supreme Court (1966)
• Brown, Thomas. Politics and Statesmanship: Essays on the American Whig Party 1985 online
• Carey, Robert Lincoln. Daniel Webster as an Economist. (1929). online edition
• Current, Richard Nelson. Daniel Webster and the Rise of National Conservatism (1955), short biography
• Curtis, George Ticknor. Life of Daniel Webster (1870) online edition vol 1; online edition vol 2
• Formisano, Ronald P. The Transformation of Political Culture: Massachusetts Parties, 1790s–1840s (1983)
• Hammond, Bray. Banks and Politics in America from the Revolution to the Civil War (1960), Pulitzer prize; the standard history. Pro-Bank
• Holt, Michael F. The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party: Jacksonian Politics and the Onset of the Civil War (1999), 1000pp comprtehensive scholarly history online edition
• Howe, Daniel Walker. What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848 (2007). 928pp; survey of the political history
• Nevins, Allan. Ordeal of the Union: Fruits of Manifest Destiny, 1847–1852" (1947), highly detailed narrative of national politics.
• Ogg, Frederic Austin. Daniel Webster (1914)
• Peterson, Merrill D. The Great Triumvirate: Webster, Clay, and Calhoun (1983)
• Remini, Robert V. Daniel Webster (1997), the standard scholarly biography excerpt and text search
• Shade, William G. "The Second Party System" in Paul Kleppner ed., "Evolution of American Electoral Systems (1983)
• Smith, Craig R. "Daniel Webster's Epideictic Speaking: A Study in Emerging Whig Virtues" online edition
• Smith, Craig R. Daniel Webster and the Oratory of Civil Religion. (2005) 300pp

Primary sources

• The works of Daniel Webster edited in 6 vol. by Edward Everett, Boston: Little, Brown and company, 1853. online edition
• Howe, Daniel Walker, ed. The American Whigs: An Anthology (1973) online edition
• Wiltse, Charles M., Harold D. Moser, and Kenneth E. Shewmaker (Diplomatic papers), eds., The Papers of Daniel Webster, (1974–1989). Published for Dartmouth College by the University Press of New England. ser. 1. Correspondence: v. 1. 1798–1824. v. 2. 1825–1829. v. 3. 1830–1834. v. 4. 1835–1839. v. 5. 1840–1843. v. 6. 1844–1849. v. 7. 1850–1852 -- ser. 2. Legal papers: v. 1. The New Hampshire practice. v. 2. The Boston practice. v. 3. The federal practice (2 v.) -- ser. 3. Diplomatic papers: v. 1. 1841–1843. v. 2. 1850–1852 -- ser. 4. Speeches and formal writings: v. 1. 1800–1833. v. 2. 1834–1852.

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See also

• Second Party System
• Whig Party

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