The Civil War
John C. Calhoun and Daniel Webster
John C. Calhoun (Juan G)
John C. Calhoun
Daniel Webster (Shannon K)
Daniel Webster
Even though Daniel Webster is not the most well-known history figure, he helped keep the Union together (Currant 176). As an orator and politician, his impact was strong enough to shape American history forever (Currant 176). Daniel Webster was an important historical figure.
As a child, Webster was weak and frail (Encyclopedia Britannica). However, his mother discovered his intelligence and was able to get him into Dartmouth College at the age of 15 (Encyclopedia Britannica & Currant 177). There, he enrolled in law and developed his political beliefs (Currant 177). Early on, Webster was a major supporter of states' rights, but he eventually changed his beliefs to a strong central government (Currant 177).
The majority of Webster's life was politics. After graduating from Dartmouth College, Webster became a lawyer and, in fact, helped win a case for his former college (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia & Currant 177). He then moved to Portsmouth, Virginia for lawyer work but moved away when the economy began to fail during the War of 1812 (Currant 177). This made him oppose tariffs and trade restrictions (Currant 177). Webster was elected into the US House of Representatives from 1813-1817. When he moved to Boston in 1816, his political views changed to wanting a strong, central government (Currant 177).
His later political life consisted of many important events (Currant 177). Webster supported Andrew Jackson during the Nullification Crisis and even gave a saving speech that helped keep South Carolina in the Union (Currant 177). However, he disagreed with Jackson concerning the Second Bank of the United States (Currant 177). When he was originally elected to the House of Representatives for Massachusetts, he claimed that tariffs were unconstitutional (Currant 177). He changed his mind, however, when he elected to the Senate in 1827 (Currant 177). Webster also opposed adding Texas to the Union, afraid that it would start a war with Mexico, and when it did, he disliked the war (Currant 177). Webster helped pass the Compromise of 1850, and in doing so, delayed the Civil War (Currant 177). He also helped negotiate the Maine boundary and again avoided war, this time with the UK (Currant 177). Finally, Webster was the Secretary of State for three different presidents: William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, and Millard Fillmore (Currant 177).
So what was the significance of Webster's life? First of all, he helped keep the Union together, especially during the Nullification Crisis (Currant 177). He also was the Secretary of State for three different presidents (Currant 177). Finally, he avoided war (Currant 177)! Though he did do other substantial things, these were a few of the biggest.
There were many things that I learned from doing this. A big one was simply who Daniel Webster was (Currant 177). I had no idea who this person was before this assignment, but now I know that he was an orator and a very politically active person (Currant 177). I also learned that he helped keep the Union together, particularly during the Nullification Crisis (Currant 177). In the end, I came to the conclusion that without Daniel Webster, life in the United States would be very different.
Citations
Current, Richard N. "Webster, Daniel." World Book W X Y Z 21, 2006 ed. 2006. Print.
"Daniel Webster." Britannica School. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2016. Web. 20 Apr. 2016. <http://school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/277687#>.
"Dartmouth College Case." The Columbia Electronic EncyclopediaTM. New York: Columbia University Press, 2016. Research in Context. Web. 21 Apr. 2016.
Webster, Daniel. Image. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 21 Apr. 2016. <http://media1.school.eb.com/eb-media/25/5025-050-4800968A.jpg>.
"John C. Calhoun." UXL Biographies. Detroit: UXL, 2011. Student Resources in Context. Web. 4 May 2016.
"Calhoun, John C." UXL Biographies. Detroit: UXL, 2011. Student Resources in Context. Web. 4 May 2016.