US representative, senator, and orator, born in Salisbury, New Hampshire, USA. He studied at Dartmouth College and taught at schools while studying law. Admitted to the bar in 1805, he gained a local reputation as an orator and came to wider notice as an opponent of the USA undertaking the War of 1812. He was then elected to the US House of Representatives (Federalist, New Hampshire, 1813-17), where he became a leader in opposing the policies of the Democratic-Republication administration. He then moved to Boston to pursue his law career, including appearances before the US Supreme Court.
Elected again to the US House of Representatives, but now from Massachusetts (Federalist, 1823-7), he was a strong supporter of John Quincy Adams. Elected to the US Senate (National Republican, 1827-41), he was a supporter of the National Bank, a protectionist, and a champion of the nascent New England woollen cloth industry, as well as an opponent of the annexation of Texas and the Mexican war. Although opposed to slavery, he was denounced by abolitionists for his support of compromises on sectional issues involving the slavery issue. Devoutly pro-union, he denounced the nullification arguments by states’ rights advocates in a famous debate in 1830. As secretary of state (1841-3) he negotiated treaties settling a border dispute with Canada (Webster-Ashburton Treaty, 1842) and establishing relations with Chicago. He was re-elected to the US Senate (Whig, Massachusetts, 1845-50), where he delivered his famous speech (7 Mar 1850) supporting the Compromise of 1850.
This led to his being attacked by the anti-slavery forces, but he left the Senate to serve again as secretary of state (1850-2). He died in that office, greatly admired for his oratory, integrity, and commitment to preserving the union, but never having obtained the broad support that would have gained him the presidency he coveted.