Daniel Webster

Biography

Daniel Webster was one of the most celebrated orators and statesmen of the antebellum United States, renowned for his powerful speeches in defense of the Union and constitutional law. Serving as both a congressman and senator from Massachusetts, Webster became a leading figure in the Whig Party and twice served as Secretary of State. His famous debates with John C. Calhoun over nullification and states' rights established him as a principal defender of federal authority, though his support for the Compromise of 1850 damaged his reputation among abolitionists.