Daniel WebsterWeb·ster, Daniel /ˈwebstə $ -stər/ (1782–1852) a US politician who was Secretary of State from 1841 to 1843 and from 1850 to 1852. He was also an important lawyer in the Supreme Court and was especially famous for his skill at public speaking. He strongly believed that the federal (=national) government was more important than the individual governments in each US state.