Daniel Webster and the oratory of civil religion

Resource Information

The work Daniel Webster and the oratory of civil religion represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in Missouri University of Science & Technology Library. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Language Material, Books.

Label

Daniel Webster and the oratory of civil religion

Statement of responsibility

Craig R. Smith

Creator

• Smith, Craig R

Contributor

• University of Missouri Press

Subject

• Civil religion -- United States -- History -- 19th century
• Legislators -- United States -- Biography
• Nationalism -- United States -- History -- 19th century
• Political oratory -- United States -- History -- 19th century
• Rhetoric -- Political aspects -- United States -- Case studies
• Speeches, addresses, etc., American -- History and criticism
• United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
• Biographies
• Webster, Daniel, 1782-1852 -- Oratory
• Webster, Daniel, 1782-1852 -- Political and social views
• United States, Congress | Senate -- Biography

Genre

• Biography
• Case studies
• Biographies

Language

eng

Summary

"Daniel Webster (1782{u2013}1852) embodied the golden age of oratory in America by mastering each of the major genres of public speaking of the time. Even today, many of his victories before the Supreme Court remain as precedents. Webster served in the House, the Senate, and twice as secretary of state. He was so famous as a political orator that his reply 2Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and inseparable!3 to Senator Robert Hayne in a debate in 1830 was memorized by schoolboys and was on the lips of Northern soldiers as they charged forward in the Civil War. There would have been no 1850 Compromise without Webster, and without the Compromise, the Civil War might well have come earlier to an unprepared North. Webster was also the consummate ceremonial speaker. He advanced Whig virtues and solidified support for the Union through civil religion, creating a transcendent symbol for the nation that became a metaphor for the working constitutional framework. While several biographies have been written about Webster, none has focused on his oratorical talent. This study examines Webster{u2019}s incredible career from the perspective of his great speeches and how they created a civil religion that moved citizens beyond loyalty and civic virtue to true romantic patriotism. Craig R. Smith places Webster{u2019}s speeches in their historical context and then uses the tools of rhetorical criticism to analyze them. He demonstrates that Webster understood not only how rhetorical genres function to meet the expectations of the moment but also how they could be braided to produce long-lasting and literate discourse."--Publishers website

Biography type

contains biographical information

Cataloging source

DLC

Dewey number

973.5/092

Illustrations

portraits

Index

index present

LC call number

E340.W4

LC item number

S597 2005

Literary form

non fiction

Nature of contents

bibliography