Defender of the Union ― The Oratory of Daniel Webster

Smith offers a close study of the rhetorical techniques and powers of persuasion that gave Daniel Webster a uniquely influential voice in the political, legal, and social affairs of the young republic. The volume includes the edited texts of six speeches that illustrate the range of Webster's achievements, together with a chronology of his speeches and an annotated bibliography. The author stresses that Webster's importance goes beyond his considerable impact on constitutional thought and the political life of the nation. His speeches are unequaled as models of effective and literate public address, and his arguments, values, style, and use of evidence have much to tell us about American consciousness during the antebellum era.

CRAIG R. SMITH is a Professor of Speech Communication at California State University, Long Beach, and serves as President of the Freedom of Expression Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to publishing research on the impact of twentieth-century technology on First Amendment rights. His publications include numerous articles on Daniel Webster's speaking and a book on the 1850 Compromise.