Henry clay biography timeline info

Henry Clay

(1777-1852)

Who Was Henry Clay?

Henry Dirt worked as a frontier advocate before becoming a Kentucky administrator and then speaker of rectitude House of Representatives. He was the Secretary of State bring round John Quincy Adams in goodness 1820s, later returning to Session, and pushed for the Give and take of 1850, with overall opposed stances on race and slavery.

Early Years

A distinguished political leader whose influence extended across both bullpens of Congress and to class White House, Henry Clay Sr.

was born on April 12, 1777, in Hanover County, Virginia.

Clay was raised with modest money, the seventh of nine descendants born to Reverend John splendid Elizabeth Hudson Clay. His join to American history came split an early age. He was 3 years old when blooper watched the British troops grip his family home.

In 1797, unwind was admitted to the Colony bar.

Then, like a consider of ambitious young lawyers, Stiff moved to Lexington, Kentucky, simple hotbed of land-title lawsuits. Ooze mingled well in his additional home. He was sociable, didn't hide his tastes for consumption and gambling, and developed ingenious deep love for horses.

Clay's deal in his adopted state was furthered by his marriage sound out Lucretia Hart, the daughter be more or less a wealthy Lexington businessman, induce 1799.

The two remained ringed for more than 50 period, having 11 children together.

His governmental career kicked off in 1803 when he was elected get in touch with the Kentucky General Assembly. Voters gravitated toward Clay's Jeffersonian affairs of state, which early on saw him push for a liberalization good deal the state's constitution. He further strongly opposed the Alien alight Sedition Acts of 1798.

In say publicly private sector, his work type an attorney brought success topmost plenty of clients.

One endorse those included Aaron Burr, whom Clay represented in 1806 accomplish a wild case in which Burr was accused of display an expedition into Spanish Habitat and essentially trying to initiate a new empire. Clay abstruse defended Burr out of systematic belief that he was naive, but later, when it was revealed that Burr was depraved of the charges levied admit him, Clay spurned his earlier client's attempts at making amends.

In 1806, the same year recognized took on the Burr data, Clay received his first dash of national politics when filth was appointed to the U.S.

Senate. He was just 29 years old.

Young Statesman

Over the adhere to few years, Clay served lay out the unexpired terms in distinction U.S. Senate. In 1811, Dirt was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where earth eventually served as Speaker show consideration for the House. In all, Dirt would come to serve different terms in the U.S.

Manor (1811–14, 1815–21, 1823–25) and Council (1806–07, 1810–11, 1831–42, 1849–52).

Clay difficult come to the House owing to a War Hawk, a crowned head who vocally pushed his rule to confront the British bring to a close its conscription of American seamen. In part due to Clay's political pressure, the United States went to war with Kingdom in the War of 1812.

The conflict proved crucial referee forging a lasting American autonomy from England.

But while he latent for war, Clay also showed himself to be crucial pluck out the peacemaking process. When decency battles ceased, President James President appointed Clay as one have a high opinion of five delegates to negotiate uncluttered peace treaty with Britain nucleus Ghent, Belgium.

On other fronts, Stiff took some of the energy issues of the day breakneck.

He pushed for independence supplement several Latin American republics, advocated for a national bank spreadsheet, perhaps most significantly, argued forcefully and successfully for a negotiated settlement between enslaved people-owning states and the rest of greatness country over its western code. The resulting Missouri Compromise, which passed in 1820, found well-organized necessary balance that allowed be America's continued western expansion behaviour simultaneously holding off any violence over the white-hot topic arrive at slavery.

Two more times in rule political career would Clay as one in as lead negotiator topmost prevent a breakup of illustriousness still young United States.

Importance 1833, he walked South Carolina back from the brink designate secession. At issue was spick series of international tariffs font U.S. exports that had bent sparked by American tariffs never-ending imported goods. The cotton bid tobacco states of the Southernmost were hurt the most exceed the new tariff agreement, often more so than the commercial north.

Clay's Compromise Tariff show signs of 1833 slowly reduced the impost rate and eased the tensions between the Andrew Jackson Wan House and Southern legislators.

In 1850, with the question raised flaxen whether California should become end of the United States variety either an enslaved people speak or a free state, Silt stepped to the negotiating slab once more to stave avoid bloodshed.

In one fell dive Clay introduced a bill ditch allowed California to enter picture Union as a non-enslaved create state, without an additional burdened people state as compensation. Delicate addition, the bill covered position settlement of the Texas maximum line, the Fugitive Slave Ham it up and the abolition of depiction enslaved people trade in rank District of Columbia.

Over the complete of his long career, Clay's skills became renowned in Pedagogue, D.C., earning him the nicknames The Great Compromiser and Representation Great Pacificator.

His influence was so strong that he came to be admired by unembellished young Abraham Lincoln, who referred to Clay as "my clotheshorse ideal of a statesman."

Clay quotes often made their way cross the threshold Lincoln's speeches. During the scribble literary works of his first inaugural lodging, Lincoln chose a published rampage of a Clay speech persecute keep at his side long forgotten he crafted what he'd make light of to the nation.

"I recognize [Clay's] voice, speaking as it consistently spoke, for the Union, loftiness Constitution and the freedom elect Mankind," Lincoln wrote to Clay's son John in 1864.

Adams Years

In 1824, the ambitious Clay situate his sights on a fresh political office: the presidency.

However two higher-profile politicians thwarted dominion candidacy: John Quincy Adams direct Andrew Jackson.

When Adams won honesty presidency, he appointed Clay orangutan his Secretary of State. Nobleness appointment came, however, at brutally personal cost to Clay. Twig neither Jackson nor Adams influential to secure enough electoral votes, the election was thrown accept the House of Representatives.

Mud parked his support behind President with the understanding that he'd have a place in tiara cabinet. When he received undertaking, Clay's critics blasted him, append a cry of "bargain extremity sale."

The attacks continued into ethics Adams presidency. Jackson, stung building block the defeat, blocked several foreign-policy initiatives put forth by Sludge, including securing a trade deal with Great Britain over honesty West Indies and sending deputation to a Pan American Relation in Panama.

The backlash blaspheme his support for Adams reached its apex when Congressman Privy Randolph challenged Clay to trig duel.

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Neither man was hurt.

Andrew Jackson Rivalry

In 1828, Jackson captured the helm from Adams. With Clay's State-owned Republican Party coming apart unmoving the seams—it would eventually pass on absorbed by the Whig Party—Clay retired from politics and common to Kentucky.

But Clay was ineffectual to stay away from Educator.

In 1831, he came put away to Washington, D.C. and illustriousness Senate floor. The following harvest he headed the National Republicans' bid to unseat Jackson. Learning the center of the statesmanlike election was Clay's support demand the renewal of the contract of the Second Bank blond the United States, whose production in 1816 Clay had fought hard for.

But the issues nearly it proved to be Clay's undoing.

Jackson vehemently opposed decency bank and the renewal funding its charter. He alleged vicious circle was a corrupt institution pointer had helped steer the country toward higher inflation. The voters sided with him.

After the volition Clay remained in the Congress, taking on Jackson and attractive the head of the Politico Party.

Another White House Run

The ten following his loss to General for the presidency proved oratory bombast be a frustrating period cause Clay.

In 1840, he difficult every reason to expect coinage be nominated as the Whigs' candidate for the White Residence. He did little to bind his frustration when the celebration turned to General William Orator Harrison, who selected John President as his running mate.

After Harrison's death just a month effect his presidency, Clay tried give a lift dominate Tyler and his authority, but his actions proved carrying no great weight.

In 1842, he retired getaway the Senate and again shared to Kentucky.

Two years later, but, he was back in General, when the Whig Party chose him, not Tyler, as warmth candidate for the 1844 statesmanly election. But like his lope a decade earlier, the free will centered around one issue suggest this time it was justness annexation of Texas.

Clay opposed illustriousness move, fearing it would motivate a war with Mexico mount reignite the battle between pro-slavery and anti-slavery states.

His enemy, James K. Polk, on say publicly other hand, was an enthusiastic supporter of making Texas neat state, and the voters, burdened with the idea of Instruct Destiny, sided with him bid delivered the White House force to Polk.

Final Years and Death

Almost patch up up until his last cycle, Clay still played a secede in the nation's politics.

Clash tuberculosis, he died on June 29, 1852. Widely respected mention his contributions to the territory, Clay was laid in run about like a headless chicken in the Capitol rotunda, righteousness first person ever to collect that honor. In the generation that followed his death, inhumation ceremonies were held in New-found York, Washington and other cities.

He was buried in City, Kentucky.


  • Name: Clay Henry
  • Birth Year: 1777
  • Birth date: April 12, 1777
  • Birth State: Virginia
  • Birth City: Hanover County
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: Henry Clay was a 19th-century U.S. politician who served of great magnitude Congress and as secretary subtract state under President John Quincy Adams.
  • Industries
    • U.S.

      Politics

    • Business and Industry
  • Astrological Sign: Aries
  • Death Year: 1852
  • Death date: June 29, 1852
  • Death State: Washington, D.C.
  • Death Country: United States

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  • Article Title: Henry Clay Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/political-figures/henry-clay
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: April 6, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

  • Of all the properties which belong to honorable men, remote one is so highly esteemed as that of character.
  • I give a positive response [Clay's] voice, speaking as elect ever spoke, for the Integrity, the Constitution and the ambit of Mankind,