At the Jefferson Birthday Dinner, which two individuals delivered statements about the Union and Liberty?

• A. Andrew Jackson and John C. Calhoun
• B. Daniel Webster and Robert Hayne
• C. Andrew Jackson and Daniel Webster
• D. John C. Calhoun and Daniel Webster

Answer: (A)

The key moment tested is the famous Jefferson Day Dinner exchange between Daniel Webster and Robert Hayne. Webster defended the United States as a single, indivisible nation and argued that Liberty and Union go hand in hand, with the Union essential to true liberty. Hayne countered with a states’ rights perspective, asserting that states should retain the authority to interpret constitutional obligations and even challenge federal power when it conflicted with their interests. This pairing—Webster emphasizing national unity and Liberty as inseparable from the Union, versus Hayne advocating for states’ rights—is what the question points to. The other figures mentioned were involved in different debates, but the Jefferson Birthday Dinner moment center-stages Webster and Hayne.