Daniel Webster Biography

Daniel Webster was a renowned American Senator and politician. Famous for his gift of the gab ability, he vehemently criticised the War of 1812 and the violation of New England’s shipping rights at a public speech. Moreover, this speech was also his protest against the extremism of New Englanders who supported the idea of the region’s secession from the Union. As a member of the House of Representative, he openly criticised President James Madison’s administrative and wartime policies. He expressed his disapproval of the ‘tariff of 1816’ and ‘American System’, an economic plan of House Speaker Henry Clay. Based on his briefs, John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States gave several court decisions. Apart from that, he also interpreted matters of constitutional law to a number of justices. All these activities earned him the name of the Great Expounder of the Constitution. During his tenure as the Secretary of State, he was a key supporter of “Jury nullification” law about which he stated in his famous “Seventh of March” speech. It was Webster who, as chief American diplomat, wrote the Hulsemann Letter by defending America’s right to participate in the internal politics of Hungary.He was a strong supporter of the idea of the establishment of commercial relations with Japan.