Henry Clay, born on April 12, 1777, in Hanover County, Virginia, was a 19th century U.S. politician. His parents are Reverend John Clay and Elizabeth Hudson Clay. They had nine children, including Henry. They were all raised with modest wealth and had an early link to American history from his parents. In 1781, when Clay was only 3 years old, his father died. After that, British soldiers raided and took over his home. Later his mother remarried and his family all moved to Richmond. During his lifetime, he was a very dedicated and hardworking person who accomplished many things. Many people believe that he was a hot headed person, meaning that he was quick tempered, but that meant he could focus and get his stuff done. People also believe that …show more content…
he had an effective way of scheming that made one of America’s best-loved politicians. All of this led to him playing a central role in politics in American history. He first started his political journey in 1803 when he was elected to the Kentucky Legislature. Many voters liked his views on Jefferson and on the Alien and Sedition Acts, which he opposed, so he became popular with them. His success grew even further in 1806 and 1810 when he was elected to the U.S. Senate for short terms. Clay opposed slavery as a system. He also defended the Five Civilized Tribes rights, unsuccessfully though because of Andrew Jackson and the Trail of Tears. He encouraged the participation in the War of 1812 a lot as he believed that war with Great Britain was necessary to solve issues. However, he later was chosen to meet representatives at Ghent in 1814, so they could sign the Treaty of Ghent. The Treaty of Ghent ended the War of 1812, but it did not help any side in any way. After the treaty, the next big thing for Clay was the creation of the American System. The American System is one of the most historically important examples of a government-sponsored program. It was created in order to help simultaneously balance America’s economy and industry. It had three main parts: Federal support of internal improvements, a protective tariff, and support for the BUS, or National Bank of America. Henry Clay created the system while he was in the Election of 1824. The Election of 1824 was one of the most important elections to happen in history.
It started off as one thing, but led into a bunch of others. The northern runners were John Quincy Adams and Daniel Webster. The southern runners were William H. Crawford and John C. Calhoun. The next runners were the some of the important ones: Henry Clay and Andrew Jackson. Not many people knew Andrew Jacksons policy on things and many people supported him simply because he was a war hero. Because of this, he was hated on by Clay. This is when what is known as the ‘Corrupt Bargain’ comes into play. For the election, it looked like Jackson was going to win, which although many people voted for him, others were not as happy, John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay being some of those. For a while, those two would have secret meetings that, to this day, no one surely knows what they were about. Many historians assume that they held some information as to what happened next. Henry Clay was doing pretty well in the elections, but then one day he randomly stepped out. Everyone was so shocked. Clay never admitted his reasons, but he did give his full support to John Quincy Adams and he made sure everyone knew to vote for him, and not the “military chieftain”. It wasn’t a surprise as to who won the election: John Quincy Adams. After he became president, he let Henry Clay be his secretary of state, and that’s when their plan had worked exactly how they
wanted. Another thing that Henry Clay was known for was that he was good at compromising. Everyone knew this about him and called him “The Great Compromise” or even the “The Great Pacificator”. The three most important compromises he dealt with were the Missouri Compromise, the Tariff Compromise, and the Compromise of 1850. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 had to do with the fight between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions within the U.S. It stated that Missouri would be admitted as a slave state and that Maine, which was a part of Massachusetts, would now be admitted as a free state. Also, in the Louisiana Purchase lands depending on geographical location, slavery was to be banned. Both sides of this compromise were happy and this wouldn’t have happened without Clay. The Tariff Compromise of 1833 was meant to stop the Nullification Crisis. It was created by Clay as well as John C. Calhoun and it passed Congress in March of 1833. The Compromise of 1850 was similar to the Missouri Compromise in which they both talked about slavery and land issues. The Compromise of 1850 stated that California would be admitted as a free state. Utah and New Mexico’s slavery would be determined by votes from the popular sovereignty. It also ended the slave trade that was happening in the District of Columbia All three of these compromises were very important in history and definitely led to a peaceful way of solving arguments. Although his many attempts and his hard work and dedication to the United States throughout his life, Henry Clay never became president. His party, the Whigs, shortly disappeared after his death, which was on June 29, 1852 in Washington at the age of 75. He died of tuberculosis, which is a serious bacterial infection. Because he played a huge part in America’s politics in most of his life, his death was widely respected, and Clay was laid in Capital rotunda, one of the first people to ever get that honor. He was later buried in Lexington, Kentucky and funeral ceremonies took place in New York, Washington, and other famous cities that he played a big roll in. Without Henry Clay, politics today would not be the same,
Throughout the course of American political history rarely has there ever been a rivalry as fierce and contested as that of the one between Tennessee’s Andrew Jackson, and Kentucky’s Henry Clay. During their extensive political careers the two constantly seemed to cross paths differing in terms philosophically and ideologically. Simply put, these two men profoundly shaped the American Antebellum period, specifically involving the 1820’s to the 1840’s. Their notions of what was best for the country became the basis for their respective parties and consequently their differences in methodology facilitated countless battles in the American political atmosphere. The most significant issues that centered on these types of political skirmishes involved
Jackson and Calhoun had a very rocky relationship. They were both different to begin with. Calhoun was a well-off man who graduated from Yale, while Jackson was known for his lower-class background. At first Adam won the presidency election in 1824 but Calhoun didn't like him very much. Calhoun opposed every Adams management every time. When elections came up again in 1828, Calhoun teamed with Jackson to beat Adams. They won and Jackson became the seventh president and Calhoun became the vice president. Together they were a combustible mixture but that relationship changes when they go deeper into Jackson’s presidency.
After beginning his career in law, Clay married a woman named Lucretia Hart. Together, they had 11 children, (5 sons and 6 daughters). Out of all 11 of his children, 7 died before him and his wife. Henry’s wife died in 1864 at 83 years old.
Considered more of a personal vendetta then a legitimate case, the Aaron Burr Treason Trial cultivated how judges and lawmakers defined treason based on the Constitution and what executive power the president has when a part of law case that still hold true in America today.
politician, war hero, and a leader he put his heart into it. Sure he may have made a
His compromises overcame regionalism and balanced state rights and national interests. He actively encouraged United State's participation in the War of 1812. As a result of the Treaty of Ghent, the United States emerged as a nation of importance and influence in the world. Henry Clay changed the role of the Speaker of the House and made it the powerful position it is today. He held that position in office longer than anyone in the history of the House of Representatives other than Sam Rayburn. Henry Clay argued before the US Supreme Court. In doing so, he introduced Amicus Brief to Supreme Court. His cases continue to be cited on a regular basis today. He was also an attorney. He won far more cases than he lost. He became the most respected breeders and farmers in America. He introduced Hereford Cattle to American and one of the most successful providers of mules in the South. Henry Clay played a major role in Lexington becoming "The Horse Capital of the World." He influenced many future political leaders with his ideology and style. Abraham Lincoln adopted much of Henry Clay's political ideology. He gave his country nearly half a century of Service as a Representative, Senator and Secretary of State. He became the most important political figures in his era. In the 1950's Henry Clay was named by a panel of historians and Senate leaders as one of the five greatest senators of all
Andrew Jackson had many significant contributions to the democratic state of the country. One of those contributions, as stated in document B, was Jackson’s victory of the 1928 Presidential election. What this election did was accelerate the transfer of power from the national elite to the common-man; the universal-white-men now had a larger role in the government. As the graph in document A shows, the methods of electing Presidential electors before Jackson’s Presidency was for-the-most-part dominated by state legislature, it was during Jackson’s administration by which the people were electing Presidential electors. As President, Jackson sought to rid the government of all its corrupt officials. This is backed up by the information in document D, which states that Jackson believed that the offices should be rotated every four years and filled by the people. The same document states that Jackson believed the president should serve a single term of no more than four or six years; the senators should have similar constraints with subjection to removal. All of this was fueled by his theory that there was more to be gained with the rotation of office holders that the long continuance of them and that office were not created to give certain men support rather than help the people, as ex...
Henry Clay was the first Speaker of the House that really helped to establish the position and increase the power. Clay served three terms as Speaker of the House and in those years demonstrated how his tactics were effective as well as successful. Henry Clay was personable, and his youth and assertiveness made him a popular choice for Speaker. Clay used his position to place his allies in important committees to achieve these goals. As Clay gained clout in the House of Representatives, he was able to introduce his American System and ideas founded in the American Colonization Society. Henry Clay’s greatest accomplishment as Speaker of the House was the drafting of the Missouri Compromise, which gained him the title of the Great Compromiser. Henry Clay became a very powerful, respected and effective Speaker of the House, and set a precedent for future Speakers.
The south and the north made numerous compromises to create a great nation. The first indirect compromise was when the constitution didn’t mention slavery in the constitution, they left that for the states to deal with. After years after when the congress decide to stop the slave trade in 1808, they gave the south time to adjust to this but they new that by the time the slave trade died line was over the slave would have reproduces and they would have more slaves. Third compromise gave the south more power. They had notice that they had less seats in the house of representative. States with the most slaves, for instance Virginia and Maryland, were get out number in the house of representative, so the compromised to have the slave counted as part of the population. They got three counts for every five slaves. This helped balance the house of representative.
The Whigs and the Jacksonian democrats created a grudge match amongst Congress through the 1830’s and 1840’s. Political issues regarding territorial expansion and the power the government, as well as the economic issues regarding the national bank along with tariffs would strengthen the rivalry between the two parties. The opposing opinions over tariffs and the party’s objective to embarrass the other led to a less productive government.
The presidential elections of 1860 was one of the nation’s most memorable one. The north and the south sections of country had a completely different vision of how they envision their home land. What made this worst was that their view was completely opposite of each other. The north, mostly republican supporters, want America to be free; free of slaves and free from bondages. While on the other hand, the south supporters, mostly democratic states, wanted slavery in the country, because this is what they earned their daily living and profit from.
what others thought of him. His life symbolized what a lot of people have gone
By the year of 1860, the North and the South was developed into extremely different sections. There was opposing social, economic, and political points of view, starting back into colonial periods, and it slowly drove the two regions farther in separate directions. The two sections tried to force its point of view on the nation as a whole. Even though negotiations had kept the Union together for many years, in 1860 the condition was unstable. The presidential election of Abraham Lincoln was observed by the South as a risk to slavery and many believe it initiated the war.
Henry was born on 1565, in the late 16th century in London, England. Henry comes from a wealthy family. His father’s name was Robert Brick Hudson and his mother’s name was Anne Mariah Delamatre. His grandpa which his name is also, Henry Hudson, was a founding member of the Merchant Adventures on the 18th of December 1551 which later became the Muscovy Trading Company. Henry was well educated, and he had studied cartography, navigation, astronomy, mathematics, and seamanship in his early life.
sometimes extreme, yet effective due to his extreme influence. His death was regarded as an