Webster Essay, Research Paper

After the Whig Party was formed in 1834, Webster became one of its leaders, receiving the electoral vote of Massachusetts for President in 1836. In 1841 Webster was appointed secretary of state by President William Henry Harrison, a position he retained under President John Tyler. In that capacity he negotiated the Webster-Ashburton Treaty (1842), which settled the dispute with Britain over the boundary between the U.S. and Canada. He resigned from the cabinet in 1843.

In 1845 Webster reentered the Senate. He opposed the annexation of Texas and the war with Mexico. Although Webster was personally opposed to slavery, he believed first and foremost in the preservation of the Union. His last years in the Senate were devoted to efforts to maintain peace between the North and South by means of compromise. His last great speech was delivered on March 7, 1850, in support of the Compromise Measures of 1850. The speech aroused indignation in the North because of its concessions to slavery.

In 1850-52 Webster was secretary of state in the cabinet of President Millard Fillmore. The orator died at his home in Marshfield, Massachusetts, on October 24, 1852.

Bibliography

After the Whig Party was formed in 1834, Webster became one of its leaders, receiving the electoral vote of Massachusetts for President in 1836. In 1841 Webster was appointed secretary of state by President William Henry Harrison, a position he retained under President John Tyler. In that capacity he negotiated the Webster-Ashburton Treaty (1842), which settled the dispute with Britain over the boundary between the U.S. and Canada. He resigned from the cabinet in 1843.

In 1845 Webster reentered the Senate. He opposed the annexation of Texas and the war with Mexico. Although Webster was personally opposed to slavery, he believed first and foremost in the preservation of the Union. His last years in the Senate were devoted to efforts to maintain peace between the North and South by means of compromise. His last great speech was delivered on March 7, 1850, in support of the Compromise Measures of 1850. The speech aroused indignation in the North because of its concessions to slavery.

In 1850-52 Webster was secretary of state in the cabinet of President Millard Fillmore. The orator died at his home in Marshfield, Massachusetts, on October 24, 1852.