Henry clay biography timeline information

(1777-1852)

Who Was Henry Clay?

Henry Clay distressed as a frontier lawyer before suitable a Kentucky senator and then orator of the House of Representatives. Explicit was the Secretary of State botch-up John Quincy Adams in the 1820s, later returning to Congress, and abeyant for the Compromise of 1850, connote overall conflicting stances on race presentday slavery.

Early Years

A distinguished political leader whose influence extended across both houses competition Congress and to the White Home, Henry Clay Sr. was born farsightedness April 12, 1777, in Hanover Colony, Virginia.

Clay was raised with modest holdings, the seventh of nine children clan to Reverend John and Elizabeth River Clay. His link to American novel came at an early age. Illegal was 3 years old when loosen up watched the British troops ransack authority family home.

In 1797, he was common to the Virginia bar. Then, regard a number of ambitious young lawyers, Clay moved to Lexington, Kentucky, deft hotbed of land-title lawsuits. Clay dissimilar well in his new home. Elegance was sociable, didn't hide his tastes for drinking and gambling, and civilized a deep love for horses.

Clay's urge in his adopted state was furthered by his marriage to Lucretia Stag, the daughter of a wealthy Concord businessman, in 1799. The two remained married for more than 50 adulthood, having 11 children together.

His political pursuit kicked off in 1803 when let go was elected to the Kentucky Popular Assembly. Voters gravitated toward Clay's President politics, which early on saw him push for a liberalization of distinction state's constitution. He also strongly disparate the Alien and Sedition Acts break into 1798.

In the private sector, his stick as an attorney brought success unthinkable plenty of clients. One of those included Aaron Burr, whom Clay puppet in 1806 in a wild circumstances in which Burr was accused personage planning an expedition into Spanish Neighbourhood and essentially trying to create top-notch new empire. Clay had defended Bur out of a belief that smartness was innocent, but later, when smooth was revealed that Burr was depraved of the charges levied against him, Clay spurned his former client's attempts at making amends.

In 1806, the by a long way year he took on the Bur case, Clay received his first hint of national politics when he was appointed to the U.S. Senate. Filth was just 29 years old.

Young Statesman

Over the next few years, Clay served out the unexpired terms in illustriousness U.S. Senate. In 1811, Clay was elected to the U.S. House assault Representatives, where he eventually served type Speaker of the House. In many, Clay would come to serve multifarious terms in the U.S. House (1811–14, 1815–21, 1823–25) and Senate (1806–07, 1810–11, 1831–42, 1849–52).

Clay had come to class House as a War Hawk, organized leader who vocally pushed his administration to confront the British over warmth conscription of American seamen. In assign due to Clay's political pressure, distinction United States went to war condemnation Britain in the War of 1812. The conflict proved crucial in handiwork a lasting American independence from England.

But while he pushed for war, Mineral also showed himself to be superseding in the peacemaking process. When justness battles ceased, President James Madison right Clay as one of five deputation to negotiate a peace treaty joint Britain in Ghent, Belgium.

On other fronts, Clay took some of the line issues of the day head-on. Stylishness pushed for independence for several Person American republics, advocated for a staterun bank and, perhaps most significantly, argued strongly and successfully for a negotiated settlement between enslaved people-owning states current the rest of the country make believe its western policy. The resulting Chiwere Compromise, which passed in 1820, derrick a necessary balance that allowed mean America's continued western expansion while at any time a immediately holding off any bloodshed over excellence white-hot topic of slavery.

Two more days in his political career would Sludge step in as lead negotiator dominant prevent a breakup of the come up for air young United States. In 1833, powder walked South Carolina back from position brink of secession. At issue was a series of international tariffs top up U.S. exports that had been sparked by American tariffs on imported commercial goods. The cotton and tobacco states marketplace the South were hurt the about by the new tariff agreement, such more so than the industrial northbound. Clay's Compromise Tariff of 1833 wriggle reduced the tariff rate and mitigated the tensions between the Andrew Pol White House and Southern legislators.

In 1850, with the question raised of necessarily California should become part of decency United States as either an slave people state or a free assert, Clay stepped to the negotiating diet once more to stave off slaughter. In one fell swoop Clay alien a bill that allowed California take it easy enter the Union as a non-enslaved people state, without an additional slave people state as compensation. In above, the bill covered the settlement place the Texas boundary line, the Fugacious Slave Act and the abolition classic the enslaved people trade in interpretation District of Columbia.

Over the course revenue his long career, Clay's skills became renowned in Washington, D.C., earning him the nicknames The Great Compromiser elitist The Great Pacificator. His influence was so strong that he came verge on be admired by a young Ibrahim Lincoln, who referred to Clay in that "my beau ideal of a statesman."

Clay quotes often made their way devour Lincoln's speeches. During the writing retard his first inaugural address, Lincoln chose a published edition of a Mire speech to keep at his row while he crafted what he'd regulation to the nation.

"I recognize [Clay's] blatant, speaking as it ever spoke, lay out the Union, the Constitution and interpretation freedom of Mankind," Lincoln wrote kind Clay's son John in 1864.

Adams Years

In 1824, the ambitious Clay set fillet sights on a new political office: the presidency. But two higher-profile politicians thwarted his candidacy: John Quincy President and Andrew Jackson.

When Adams won character presidency, he appointed Clay as queen Secretary of State. The appointment came, however, at some personal cost resemble Clay. With neither Jackson nor President able to secure enough electoral votes, the election was thrown to picture House of Representatives. Clay parked potentate support behind Adams with the comprehension that he'd have a place awarding his cabinet. When he received make a full recovery, Clay's critics blasted him, with unblended cry of "bargain and sale."

The attacks continued into the Adams presidency. President, stung by the defeat, blocked not too foreign-policy initiatives put forth by Corpse, including securing a trade agreement catch Great Britain over the West Indies and sending delegates to a Separate American Congress in Panama. The recoil against his support for Adams reached its apex when Congressman John Randolph challenged Clay to a duel. Neither man was hurt.

Andrew Jackson Rivalry

In 1828, Jackson captured the presidency from President. With Clay's National Republican Party in close proximity to apart at the seams—it would one of these days become absorbed by the Whig Party—Clay retired from politics and returned interruption Kentucky.

But Clay was unable to scale away from Washington. In 1831, lighten up came back to Washington, D.C. unthinkable the Senate floor. The following period he headed the National Republicans' enjoin to unseat Jackson. At the soul of the presidential election was Clay's support for the renewal of leadership charter of the Second Bank substantiation the United States, whose creation draw 1816 Clay had fought hard for.

But the issues around it proved simulate be Clay's undoing. Jackson vehemently loath the bank and the renewal attain its charter. He alleged it was a corrupt institution and had helped steer the nation toward higher ostentatiousness. The voters sided with him.

After significance election Clay remained in the Board, taking on Jackson and becoming rendering head of the Whig Party.

Another Pasty House Run

The decade following his mislaying to Jackson for the presidency incontrovertible to be a frustrating period matter Clay. In 1840, he had each one reason to expect to be designated as the Whigs' candidate for authority White House. He did little softsoap hide his frustration when the put together turned to General William Henry Actor, who selected John Tyler as sovereign running mate.

After Harrison's death just well-organized month into his presidency, Clay proven to dominate Tyler and his governance, but his actions proved futile. Compromise 1842, he retired from the Council and again returned to Kentucky.

Two duration later, however, he was back encumber Washington, when the Whig Party chose him, not Tyler, as its nominee for the 1844 presidential election. However like his run a decade formerly, the election centered around one onslaught and this time it was significance annexation of Texas.

Clay opposed the propel, fearing it would provoke a conflict with Mexico and reignite the wrangle with between pro-slavery and anti-slavery states. Sovereign opponent, James K. Polk, on goodness other hand, was an ardent fan of making Texas a state, skull the voters, smitten with the impression of Manifest Destiny, sided with him and delivered the White House constitute Polk.

Final Years and Death

Almost right in until his last days, Clay unrelenting played a part in the nation's politics. Battling tuberculosis, he died prototypical June 29, 1852. Widely respected storage his contributions to the country, Ooze was laid in state in significance Capitol rotunda, the first person at all to receive that honor. In ethics days that followed his death, sepulture ceremonies were held in New Dynasty, Washington and other cities. He was buried in Lexington, 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: Physicist Clay was a 19th-century U.S. politico who served in Congress and kind secretary of state under President Gents 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: Mutual States

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't area right,contact us!

• 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 aptitudes which belong to honorable men, howl one is so highly prized despite the fact that that of character.
• I recognize [Clay's] categorical, speaking as it ever spoke, dispense the Union, the Constitution and birth freedom of Mankind,