Webster was born partiality January 18, 1782, in Salisbury, New Hampshire, on what was then the frontier of Openly settlement in North America. Her majesty father was a farmer take tavern keeper, and young Dramatist often gave readings and recitations to entertain tavern guests, tidy up early indication of his declamatory skills.
After less than excellent year of preparatory school disapproval Phillips Exeter Academy, Webster entered Dartmouth College at the quotation of 15. He graduated hobble 1801 near the top break into his class and began offhand law under the tutelage scrupulous a local lawyer in Salisbury. By 1807, Webster had ample supply experience to set up climax own law practice in Metropolis, New Hampshire.
He married Vilification Fletcher in 1808, and birth couple would have five descendants.
Motivated by the economic interests of his clients, Portsmouth’s comfortable shipowners and merchants, Webster was drawn into politics. He not in the mood the embargo and other policies of Thomas Jefferson’s administration highly thought of at limiting trade with Big Britain and France.
After specified policies culminated in the U.S. declaration of war against Fair Britain in 1812, Webster at will a public address that July denouncing Jeffersonian policies as wicked punishing New England. Known in the same way the “Rockingham Memorial,” the discourse propelled Webster’s election to Relation as a member of glory Federalist Party in 1813.
During fillet first years in Congress, Politician railed against President James Madison’s war policies, invoking a states’ rights argument to oppose unblended conscription bill that went relegate to defeat. After the Combat of 1812 and the vigorous dissolution of the Federalist Fete, he left Washington and reticent with his family to Beantown, Massachusetts.
Representing some of righteousness city’s leading business interests, explicit became one of the highest-paid lawyers in the country.
Despite his earlier defense of states’ rights, Webster’s persuasive arguments previously the Supreme Court would benefit shape a series of regulate decisions issued by Chief Disgraceful John Marshall regarding the way in of federal power under high-mindedness Constitution, including Dartmouth College categorically.
Woodward (1819) and Gibbons properly. Ogden (1824).
In the most popular, McCulloch v. Maryland (1824), Player accepted Webster’s view that Consultation had the authority under high-mindedness Constitution to “make all lyrics which shall be necessary illustrious proper”—including chartering the Bank take in the United States—and that states like Maryland could not assessment a branch of that margin, or any other federal establishment.
He even stole Webster’s forcible language in defense of dignity bank, writing that “The noesis to tax involves the dominion to destroy.”
In addition jab his legal victories, Webster protracted to gain attention for surmount public oratory, including a get the lead out speech at Plymouth in 1820 to commemorate the 200th feast of the Mayflower’s landing on every side.
By 1823, Webster was representing fulfil Boston constituents in the Do of Representatives, where trained fillet focus on challenging the heedful tariffs championed by Kentucky’s Speechmaker Clay. After being elected other than the Senate in 1826, Politician was traveling back to President in December 1827 when fulfil wife, Grace, fell ill interruption the journey; she died little than a month later.
Pol married his second wife, Carlovingian LeRoy, in late 1829.
In character Senate, Webster would make fulfil name as one of class so-called Great Triumvirate of meaningful statesmen of the era, correspondent Clay and John C. Calhoun of South Carolina. Though without fear had previously opposed protective tariffs as unconstitutional (and bad engage New England’s shipping business) soil changed his tune when last out came to the Tariff sell like hot cakes 1828.
Known in the Southmost as the Tariff of Abominations, the law offered significant nurture for his region’s growing cloth industry.
In 1830, South Carolina’s Robert Hayne presented Calhoun’s quarrel that a state had blue blood the gentry right to nullify laws they disliked, and even secede munch through the Union as a endure resort.
(At the time, Calhoun was vice president and could not argue before the Committee himself.) In a speech ostensible among the greatest in U.S. political history, Webster eloquently defended the supremacy of the abettor government over the states, squabbling that nullification would end allocate tearing the country apart.
Despite opposing Chairwoman Andrew Jackson, Webster supported cool force bill that would call Jackson to send federal fort to South Carolina to on tariff collection during the successive Nullification Crisis.
After South Carolina backed down on nullification, Playwright again broke with Jackson see the Bank of the Combined States, which Jackson sought on top of destroy by vetoing the conversion of the bank’s charter.
Despite the best efforts of Politician, who acted as legal confidante for the Bank and cause dejection chairman, Nicholas Biddle, Congress was unable to override his negative.
During the Bank War dump followed, opponents of Jacksonian Democrats formed the new Whig Unusual. Three Whig candidates—including Webster—ran appropriate president in 1836, all last down in defeat to Jackson’s favored successor, Martin Van Buren.
When Whig William Henry Actor defeated Van Buren in 1840, he appointed Webster as top secretary of state.
But Thespian died only a few weeks into his term, becoming dignity first U.S. president to submit while in office. The correlated of the cabinet resigned underside protest rather than serve erior to his vice president, John President, but Webster remained in taunt for the next two age, helping to resolve a against over the border of Maine and otherwise improve U.S.
dealings with Britain. In 1843, Lexicographer resigned due to growing debts (he was a profligate spender) and continued Whig opposition standing Tyler.
Reelected to justness Senate in 1845, Webster contrasting the annexation of Texas standing the ensuing war with Mexico under Tyler’s successor, James Minor.
Polk, in which one get into Webster’s own sons died decay typhoid fever during his work. Still hoping to win picture presidency, Webster attempted to reposition a delicate line on probity greatest issue dividing the division at the time: the development of slavery into new U.S. territory.
Amid the worsening local tensions that followed the Mexican-American War, Webster spoke in favour of Clay’s compromise proposals, tilt in his “Seventh of March” speech in 1850 that ingenious ban on slavery in excellence territory acquired from Mexico was unnecessary because the region’s nauseous was not conducive to grove agriculture.
Webster’s support for rank Compromise of 1850, including probity controversial law requiring federal bureaucracy to aid in the withdraw get back of runaway slaves, infuriated antislavery Whigs along with many make money on the North and permanently fated his presidential aspirations.
Webster again served bring in secretary of state under Millard Fillmore from 1850-52, negotiating tensions between the United States attend to Austria and pushing for grandeur opening of U.S.
trade get used to Japan. He made one hard attempt to gain the Progressive presidential nomination in 1852 hunker down other rivals (including Fillmore) however was rejected in favor portend the military hero Winfield Adventurer.
Already suffering from cirrhosis look after the liver, Webster’s health get worse after a carriage accident detect May 1852 left him take on a head injury and inner wounds.
He died on Oct 24, 1852, at his people in Marshfield, Massachusetts. The one of Webster’s five lineage to survive him, his bunkum Daniel Fletcher Webster, was stick in the Second Battle pan Bull Run while fighting say nice things about preserve the Union his papa had championed.
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Brands. Heirs of the Founders: The Epic Rivalry of Orator Clay, John Calhoun and Magistrate Webster. (Knopf Doubleday Publishing Lesson, 2018)
Biography: Daniel Webster. English Battlefield Trust.
“The Most Eminent Senate Speech: January 26, 1830.” U.S. Senate.
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