This thesis is concerned with the historical context and evaluation of the string quartets of Franz Berwald. It will establish the environment within which Berwald composed these quartets, and show the results of his efforts. The material for this investigation was gathered from musical scores and literature about music. Chapter I gives an introduction to the thesis and a short biographical sketch of Berwald. Chapter II surveys the string quartet in the first half of the nineteenth century, citing the work of major composers. This chapter concludes with an examination of the influences on Berwald's musical styles. Chapter III surveys Berwald's musical output and describes the Quartet in G Minor. Chapter IV describes his last two quartets. The evaluations and conclusions are presented in Chapter V.