ABSTRACT
Despite the negative stereotypes which circulate as historical knowledge, every thought and action of Calhoun’s career was based upon a positive and hopeful vision of America and its future, a desire to promote the welfare of the American Union, and a conviction of its importance as an example to mankind. This vision differed in some respects from those of Clay, or Webster, or Jackson, or John Quincy Adams, as well as from most later versions, but it was none the less authentic and none the less inspiring for many at the time.
