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Daniel Webster was a leading American statesman during the nation's antebellum era. Webster first rose to regional prominence through his defense of New England shipping interests. His increasingly nationalistic views and the effectiveness with which he articulated them led Webster to become one of the most famous orators and influential Whig leaders of the Second Party System. As an attorney he served as legal counsel in several cases that established important constitutional precedents that bolstered the authority of the Federal government. As Secretary of State, Webster negotiated the Webster-Ashburton Treaty that established the definitive Eastern border between the United States and Canada. Primarily recognized for his Senate tenure, Webster was a key figure in the institution's "Golden Age". So well known was his skill as a Senator throughout this period that Webster became a third of what was and still is known today as the "Great Triumvirate", with his colleagues Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun. His "Reply to Haynes" (1830) was generally regarded as "the most eloquent speech ever delivered in Congress." Though Webster made three bids he never achieved the Presidency, his final attempt failing in part because of his compromises. Like his attempts at gaining the White House, Webster's efforts at steering the nation away from civil war toward a definite peace would ultimately prove futile. (more...)
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[edit] In the news
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- The Royal Navy personnel accused of trespassing into Iranian waters return to the United Kingdom after a two-week detention.
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- Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko dissolves the parliament and calls for an early parliamentary election, a move denounced by the parliament as unconstitutional.
- A tsunami triggered by an earthquake strikes the Solomon Islands, killing at least 20, destroying around 900 homes and leaving thousands homeless.
[edit] Selected anniversaries
April 8: Easter in Christianity (2007); Hanamatsuri in Japan.
- 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla (bust pictured) was assassinated at a roadside near Harran.
- 1904 - France and the United Kingdom signed the Entente Cordiale.
- 1904 - Aleister Crowley began transcribing The Book of the Law, a Holy Book in Thelema.
- 1904 - Longacre Square in Midtown Manhattan, New York was renamed Times Square.
- 1929 - Indian independence movement: In response to the British Empire's Defense of India Act which gave more power to the police, Indian revolutionary Bhagat Singh with the help of Batukeshwar Dutt bombed the Central Assembly in Delhi.
Recent days: April 7 – April 6 – April 5
[edit] Did you know...
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- ...that newly appointed Roman procurator Lucceius Albinus had not reached Judea when he learned that James the brother of Jesus had been stoned without Roman authorization?
