Webster, Daniel, 1782-1852
Dates
- Existence: 1782 - 1852
Biography
Daniel Webster was born on January 18, 1872 in Salisbury, New Hampshire. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1801, after which he began the study of law under Thomas W. Thompson and Christopher Gore. In 1805, he opens a law practice in Boscawen, New Hampshire where he stayed there until 1807. As a result of his opposition to the War of 1812, Webster is elected to the New Hampshire House of Representative in 1813 where he served until 1817. In 1816, he moves to Boston and is elected to the Massachusetts House of Representative (1823-1827) and the Senate (1827-1841 and 1845-1850). As a senator, he was a spokesman for American nationalism with powerful oratory that made him a key Whig leader. He spoke for conservatives and led the opposition to Democrat Andrew Jackson and his Democratic Party, firmly challenging Jackson's policies in the Bank War. From 1841 to 1843 and 1850 to 1852, Webster served as the United States Secretary of State. As a diplomat, he is best known for negotiating the Webster–Ashburton Treaty of 1842 with Great Britain which established the Canada–United States border east of the Rocky Mountains. As a lawyer, Webster was highly regarded in the courtroom, shaping several key US Supreme Court cases that established important constitutional precedents and bolstered the authority of the federal government. One of the cases he argued was the Dartmouth College case in 1819. The case arose when the president of Dartmouth College was deposed by its trustees, leading to the New Hampshire legislature attempting to force the college to become a public institution and thereby place the ability to appoint trustees in the hands of the governor of New Hampshire. The Supreme Court upheld the sanctity of the original charter of the college, which pre-dated the creation of the State. The landmark case is considered one of the most important in United States history as it affirmed that the Constitution's contract clause protected private corporations from government interference. Webster died October 24, 1852.
Found in 2089 Collections and/or Records:
Francis Johnson letter
In English.
Francis Lieber letter
In English.
Freeborn Adams letter
In English.
From the New York "Express"
Includes a general list of Webster's dedications for the first five volumes of his Works, along with a transcribed copy of the dedication for his sixth volume.
G. Niles letter
In English.
George Ashmun letter
In English.
George Augustus Waggaman letter
In English.
George Blake letter
In English.
George Corbin Washington letter
In English.
George E. Head letter
In English.
George Folsom letter
In English.
George J. Heist letter
In English.
George Thatcher letter
In English.
George Ticknor letter
In English.
George Ticknor letter
In English.
George Ticknor letter
In English.
George Ticknor letter
Eleven-page letter from George Ticknor to Daniel Webster consisting of dictated notes with insertions and corrections by Ticknor. In the letter he answers Webster's question on history and epic poetry, modern European and American historians and early Greek and Roman historians and historical bibliographies. Last page apparently incorrectly endoresed: Mr. Felton's note on Herodotus.
George Ticknor letter
Two-page letter from George Ticknor to Edwin David Sanborn in Marshfield, telling him that he has returned the colume of newspapers and the manuscript material loaned him and asks Sanborn to make sure they are all there.
George Woodward letter
In English.
George Woodward letter
In English.