author
Herbert Darling Foster
1863–1927
A Dartmouth historian with a gift for making the past vivid, he wrote on subjects ranging from European religious history to the politics of slavery and secession in the United States. His work blends careful scholarship with a clear, readable style that still feels approachable.
1 Audiobook
Webster's Seventh of March Speech and the Secession Movement, 1850
by Herbert Darling Foster
About the author
Born in West Newbury, Massachusetts, on June 22, 1863, Herbert Darling Foster graduated from Dartmouth College in 1885 and later joined its faculty. Dartmouth archives note that he first taught English, German, and Greek at Worcester Academy before building his academic career as a historian.
Foster became especially associated with Dartmouth as a professor of history, and his published work shows broad interests across European and American history. His books and essays include studies of Geneva under Calvin, the Synod of Dort, local New Hampshire history, and Webster's Seventh of March Speech and the Secession Movement, 1850.
He died on December 26, 1927, in England. A memorial appreciation from Dartmouth remembered him as an influential teacher and a deeply valued member of the college community, suggesting that his legacy rested not only on his writing, but also on the generations of students he taught.