At a crucial time in American history, John Tyler--elected vice president on the Whig ticket--became president upon the death of William Henry Harrison. The nation, after expanding across the continent, was suffering from sectional tensions, Indian conflicts, issues over slavery, and economic problems. Tyler's becoming president created a crisis for Whigs, who questioned his intentions, his past record, and his irregular political alliances. Soon, the course he set was unacceptable to both Whigs and Jacksonian Democrats. His presidency has not received the extensive scholarly study accorded many presidents. This bibliography provides an excellent beginning for those wishing to research Tyler and this critical period in American history.

The definitive study of Tyler is yet to be written. Much of what has been written about him has been highly opinionated. Yet, as this bibliography reveals, primary material on Tyler is abundant. The volume presents in usable format most of the materials by and dealing with Tyler, including both secondary and primary materials. It also includes relevant information on his contemporaries and covers major works dealing with the period. It provides a good introduction to the literature of the times of Tyler.

Daniel Webster captured the hearts and imagination of the American people of the first half of the nineteenth century. This bibliography on Webster brings together for the first time a comprehensive guide to the vast amount of literature written by and about this extraordinary man who dwarfed most of his contemporaries. This bibliography also provides references to materials on slavery, the tariff, banking, Indian affairs, legal and constitutional development, international affairs, western expansion, and economic and political developments in general. This bibliography is divided into fifteen sections and covers every aspect of Webster's distinguished career. Sections I and II deal primarily with Webster's writings and with those of his contemporaries. Sections III through X cover the literature dealing with his family background; childhood and education, his long service in the United States House of Representatives and in the Senate, his two stints as secretary of state, and his career in law. Section X provides guidance in locating materials relating to his associates. Finally, Sections XI through XV provide coverage of his personal life, his death, historiographical materials, and iconography.