Why did Mark Twain name the frog Daniel Webster in his story the notorious jumping frog of calaveras county?

Answer 1

It is first necessary to know that Daniel Webster was a well known and well educated man in American history. This name was given to one frog while the other remained nameless.

In American history Webster failed to become president despite three attempts and was defeated by lesser men.

In Twain's story the well trained frog Daniel Webster lost to a common fresh from the swamp. This was accomplished by cheating and treachery (if you are of one mind) or by native ability of the honest uneducated type (if you are of another)

If you feel that well educated and placed folks who run for office may be constrained by the obligations they owe to their backers which stop them from performing to their best or in accordance to their own nature while the free spirited poor and uneducated are at least their equals you may have yet another more complex explanation.

Answer 2

Mark Twain named the frog Daniel Webster as a humorous reference to the American statesman and orator, Daniel Webster. This choice added an element of irony and made the story more entertaining for readers.