The Character of Washington

Daniel Webster gave this speech in honor of George Washington on the centennial of the first US president’s birth. In it, he praises Washington’s attributes and recounts his service to America. He states that Washington is a man “whose name is intimately blended with whatever belongs most essentially to the prosperity, the liberty, and the renown of our country.” In recounting the life and work of Washington, however, Webster’s speech also serves as a reflection on the past 100 years in American history and the birth of a great nation.