In John F. Kennedy's book, Profiles in Courage, he discusses men who he believes to be politically courageous. He points out in each case how they stood up for what they believed in no matter what the consequences. JFK goes into detail about eight different men, including, John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster and Thomas Hart Benton. Some of these men were hated and mocked by their own political party and very few others were praised and earned the respect of their country.
             John Quincy Adams was a Massachusetts Senator. His support of the Embargo Bill, which cut off all trade with Great Britain, caused him great unpopularity. He was a Federalist. His party, his constituents, and even his home state was against the Embargo Bill, but he supported it on the fact that he was looking at the effect on the whole country not only the state he was representing. He knew he would be hated for his decision to support the Bill, but he did what he thought would be best for the country.
             Daniel Webster was a Federalist and a representative for Massachusetts in the House of Representatives and in the US Senate. He was against slavery but when it became a question of preserving the Union, he did what he thought would be best for the country. He compromised his old beliefs of non slavery in order to save the Union. He spoke in front of the Senate on this matter as an America, not a man from Massachusetts. This speech was known as the "Seventh of March" speech. Webster unlike some of the others described in this book succeeded and was praised by the North and South alike.
             Thomas Hart Benton was a Senator from Missouri. Senator Benton was against slavery even though he was representing a pro slavery state. He was loyal to the Union, which he had fought for both on the battlefront and on the Congress floor. He was considered guilty of being a traitor and criticized constantly by his own state and constituents.
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