Henry Clay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henry Clay
|
|
|---|---|
Clay photographed in 1848
|
|
| 9th United States Secretary of State | |
| In office March 4, 1825 – March 4, 1829 |
|
| President | John Quincy Adams |
| Preceded by | John Quincy Adams |
| Succeeded by | Martin Van Buren |
| United States Senator from Kentucky |
|
| In office March 4, 1849 – June 29, 1852 |
|
| Preceded by | Thomas Metcalfe |
| Succeeded by | David Meriwether |
| In office November 10, 1831 – March 31, 1842 |
|
| Preceded by | John Rowan |
| Succeeded by | John J. Crittenden |
| In office January 4, 1810 – March 3, 1811 |
|
| Appointed by | Charles Scott |
| Preceded by | Buckner Thruston |
| Succeeded by | George M. Bibb |
| In office December 29, 1806 – March 3, 1807 |
|
| Preceded by | John Adair |
| Succeeded by | John Pope |
| 7th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives | |
| In office March 4, 1823 – March 3, 1825 |
|
| Preceded by | Philip P. Barbour |
| Succeeded by | John Taylor |
| In office March 4, 1815 – October 28, 1820 |
|
| Preceded by | Langdon Cheves |
| Succeeded by | John Taylor |
| In office March 4, 1811 – January 19, 1814 |
|
| Preceded by | Joseph Varnum |
| Succeeded by | Langdon Cheves |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky |
|
| In office March 4, 1823 – March 6, 1825 |
|
| Preceded by | John Johnson |
| Succeeded by | James Clark |
| Constituency | 3rd district |
| In office March 4, 1815 – March 3, 1821 |
|
| Preceded by | Joseph H. Hawkins |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Woodson |
| Constituency | 2nd district |
| In office March 4, 1811 – January 19, 1814 |
|
| Preceded by | William T. Barry |
| Succeeded by | Joseph H. Hawkins |
| Constituency | 2nd district (1813–1814) 5th district (1811–1813) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 12, 1777 Hanover County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | June 29, 1852 (aged 75) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican (1797–1825) National Republican (1825–1833) Whig (1833–1852) |
| Spouse |
Lucretia Hart
(m. 1799) |
| Children | 11, including Thomas, Henry, James, John |
| Education | College of William & Mary |
| Signature |  |
Henry Clay Sr. (April 12, 1777 – June 29, 1852) was an important American lawyer and politician. He represented Kentucky in both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. He was the seventh Speaker of the House and the ninth Secretary of State. He tried to become president three times but was not successful.
Clay helped start two major political parties: the National Republican Party and the Whig Party. He was known as the "Great Compromiser" because he helped solve big disagreements in Congress, especially about slavery. He was also part of the "Great Triumvirate" of powerful congressmen, along with Daniel Webster and John C. Calhoun.
Clay was born in Hanover County, Virginia, in 1777. He started his law career in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1797. As a member of the Democratic-Republican Party, he was elected to the Kentucky state legislature in 1803 and to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1810. He became Speaker of the House in 1811. With President James Madison, he helped lead the U.S. into the War of 1812 against Great Britain. In 1814, he helped negotiate the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the war.
After the war, Clay returned as Speaker. He developed the "American System." This plan called for federal money for roads and canals, support for a national bank, and high taxes on imported goods (tariffs). In 1820, he helped end a crisis over slavery by leading the passage of the Missouri Compromise.
In the 1824 presidential election, Clay got the fourth-most votes. He then helped John Quincy Adams become president in a special vote in the House of Representatives. President Adams made Clay the Secretary of State. Some critics said this was a "corrupt bargain." Adams lost the 1828 election to Andrew Jackson.
Clay was elected to the Senate in 1831. He ran for president in 1832 but lost to President Jackson. After this, Clay helped end the nullification crisis by passing the Tariff of 1833. During Jackson's second term, Clay and others formed the Whig Party. Clay became a very important Whig leader in Congress.
Clay tried for president again in 1840 but the Whigs chose William Henry Harrison. When Harrison died, his vice president, John Tyler, became president. Tyler disagreed with Clay and other Whigs. Clay left the Senate in 1842. He won the Whig presidential nomination in 1844 but lost to James K. Polk. Polk wanted to add Texas to the U.S.
Clay did not like the Mexican–American War. He tried to get the Whig nomination in 1848 but lost to General Zachary Taylor. After returning to the Senate in 1849, Clay helped pass the Compromise of 1850. This agreement helped delay a crisis over slavery in new territories. Clay is seen as one of the most important politicians of his time.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Henry Clay was born on April 12, 1777, in Hanover County, Virginia. He was the seventh of nine children. His father died in 1781. His mother, Elizabeth, later married Captain Henry Watkins. Watkins was a kind stepfather and a successful farmer.
Young Henry learned to read and write in Hanover County. In 1791, his family moved to Kentucky. Henry stayed in Richmond, Virginia, where he worked in a store. Later, he got a job as a clerk at the Virginia Court of Chancery.
Clay's good handwriting caught the eye of George Wythe, a professor at the College of William & Mary. Wythe was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Clay worked as Wythe's secretary for four years. Wythe taught Clay about freedom and the importance of the United States. After studying law with Virginia's attorney general, Robert Brooke, Clay became a lawyer in 1797.
Marriage and Family Life
On April 11, 1799, Henry Clay married Lucretia Hart in Lexington, Kentucky. Her father, Colonel Thomas Hart, was a well-known businessman. He helped Clay get new clients and become more successful as a lawyer. Henry and Lucretia were married until his death in 1852. She lived until 1864. Both are buried at Lexington Cemetery.
Clay and Lucretia had eleven children. Sadly, six of their daughters died young. Their son, Henry Jr., was killed in the Mexican–American War. Another son, Theodore, spent much of his life in a hospital. Their other sons, Thomas, James, and John, became a farmer, a lawyer, and a horse breeder.
In 1804, the Clays started building their home, Ashland, outside Lexington. The estate grew to over 500 acres. Clay grew crops like corn, wheat, and hemp. He also loved thoroughbred racing and imported special animals. Clay was a slave owner throughout his life.
Early Law and Political Career
Starting as a Lawyer
In November 1797, Clay moved to Lexington, Kentucky. He quickly got a license to practice law in Kentucky. He learned from other lawyers and soon started his own practice. He often worked on cases about debts and land. Clay became known for his strong legal skills and good speaking in court. In 1805, he taught at Transylvania University.
One of Clay's most famous clients was Aaron Burr. Burr was accused of treason. Clay successfully defended Burr in 1807. Clay's law practice became less busy after he was elected to Congress.
Entering Politics
Clay entered politics soon after moving to Kentucky. He spoke out against the Alien and Sedition Acts, which were laws that limited free speech. Like most people in Kentucky, Clay was a member of the Democratic-Republican Party. However, he disagreed with some state leaders about changing the state constitution. He wanted direct elections for officials and a plan to slowly end slavery in Kentucky. The new 1799 Kentucky Constitution allowed direct elections, but it did not adopt his plan for ending slavery.
In 1803, Clay was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives. He worked to improve roads and canals, which became a key part of his career. In 1806, the Kentucky legislature elected him to the United States Senate. He served for two months, supporting new bridges and canals.
After returning to Kentucky in 1807, he became Speaker of the state house. He supported President Jefferson's Embargo Act of 1807, which limited trade with other countries. In 1810, Clay was again chosen to fill a U.S. Senate seat. He spoke out against British attacks on American ships. He also wanted to add West Florida to the U.S. After one year, Clay decided he preferred the House of Representatives and was elected there in late 1810.
Speaker of the House
Becoming Speaker
The elections of 1810–11 brought many young, anti-British members to Congress. Clay was elected Speaker of the House for the 12th Congress. At 34, he was the youngest Speaker ever at that time. He was also the first new member of Congress to be elected Speaker.
Clay served seven terms in the House between 1810 and 1824. He was away from 1814 to 1815 for peace talks to end the War of 1812. He also left from 1821 to 1823 to rebuild his family's finances. Clay was elected Speaker six times, serving the second-longest time in that role.
As Speaker, Clay had a lot of power. He chose who would be on important committees. He also often spoke in debates, which was unusual for a Speaker then. He was known for being fair and polite. Clay worked to make the Speaker's job more powerful, and President James Madison often let Congress lead.
War of 1812 and Its Aftermath
Clay and other "war hawks" wanted Britain to stop attacking American ships. Clay knew fighting Britain was risky, but he felt it was necessary. He led the House in declaring war against Britain, starting the War of 1812 on June 18, 1812.
In October 1813, President Madison asked Clay to join a team of diplomats for peace talks in Europe. Clay resigned from Congress on January 19, 1814, to accept this important role. The negotiations began in August 1814. Clay was part of a team that included John Quincy Adams. Clay and Adams often disagreed, but Albert Gallatin became the unofficial leader.
Clay was very upset by Britain's first peace offer. After some American military successes, Britain offered a better deal. Clay believed Britain wanted peace badly because they were tired from fighting France. Thanks in part to Clay's strong stance, the Treaty of Ghent was signed on December 24, 1814. It ended the war, mostly returning things to how they were before.
Clay returned to the U.S. in September 1815 and was again elected Speaker. The War of 1812 made Clay believe even more in federal spending for roads and canals. He supported President Madison's plans for infrastructure, tariffs to protect American businesses, and a stronger military. Clay helped pass the Tariff of 1816 and a bill to create the Second Bank of the United States. Starting in 1818, Clay called his economic plan the "American System."
Monroe's Presidency and Key Compromises
Title: Henry Clay
Credit: Transylvania University
Author: Matthew Harris Jouett
Permission: This is a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional, public domain work of art. The work of art itself is in the public domain for the following reason: This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or less. You must also include a United States public domain tag to indicate why this work is in the public domain in the United States. This file has been identified as being free of known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights. The official position taken by the Wikimedia Foundation is that "faithful reproductions of two-dimensional public domain works of art are public domain". This photographic reproduction is therefore also considered to be in the public domain in the United States. In other jurisdictions, re-use of this content may be restricted; see Reuse of PD-Art photographs for details.
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No In 1816, James Monroe became president. Monroe offered Clay the job of Secretary of War, but Clay wanted to be Secretary of State. He was upset when Monroe chose John Quincy Adams instead.
In 1819, a debate started over whether Missouri should become a state. A proposal was made to slowly free Missouri's slaves. Clay had supported this idea in Kentucky before, but this time he sided with Southerners. He helped create the Missouri Compromise. This agreement allowed Missouri to join as a slave state and Maine as a free state. It also banned slavery in new territories north of a certain line. Clay helped pass this compromise in 1820. When Missouri's constitution banned free black people, Clay helped find another compromise so Missouri could become a state in 1821.
Clay was a strong supporter of independence movements in Latin America. He urged President Monroe to recognize the new Latin American countries. In 1818, General Andrew Jackson entered Spanish Florida to fight Native Americans. Jackson also took the Spanish town of Pensacola. Clay was very angry and publicly criticized Jackson's actions. He compared Jackson to military dictators like Alexander the Great and Napoleon. This started a long rivalry between Clay and Jackson. The issue ended when the U.S. bought Florida from Spain in the Adams–Onís Treaty.
The 1824 Presidential Election
{{File:House Election of 1825.svg|thumb|upright=1.5|Clay helped Adams win the 1825 contingent House election after Clay failed to finish among the three electoral vote-winners. States in orange voted for Crawford, states in green for Adams, and states in blue for Jackson.]] By 1822, several Democratic-Republicans wanted to be president after Monroe. Clay was one of them. He campaigned on his American System plan. His main rivals were William Crawford, John Quincy Adams, and John C. Calhoun. General Andrew Jackson also became a strong candidate.
Clay believed no one would win enough electoral votes, meaning the House of Representatives would decide the election. He hoped to win in the House. Clay won Kentucky, Ohio, and Missouri, but he finished fourth in electoral votes, behind Adams, Jackson, and Crawford.
Clay decided to support Adams. Adams was most open to Clay's American System. Clay also thought Jackson and Crawford were not suitable for president. With Clay's help, Adams won the House vote. Adams then offered Clay the job of Secretary of State, which Clay accepted. Jackson and his supporters were furious. They accused Clay and Adams of a "Corrupt Bargain," saying Clay traded his support for the job. This accusation became a major issue for the next election.
Secretary of State
Clay was Secretary of State from 1825 to 1829. This was the top foreign policy job in the Adams administration. Clay and Adams became good friends and worked well together. They both supported the Monroe Doctrine, which warned European countries not to interfere in Latin America.
Clay tried to make trade agreements with Britain and get France to pay for damages from the Napoleonic Wars, but he was not successful. He had more success with Latin American countries, making trade deals. Clay strongly wanted to send U.S. delegates to the Congress of Panama to build stronger ties with Latin American nations, but the Senate stopped him.
President Adams proposed many domestic programs based on Clay's American System. However, many of Adams's ideas were defeated by his opponents in Congress. Still, Adams did oversee the building of major projects like the National Road and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
Adams's supporters called themselves National Republicans. Jackson's supporters became known as Democrats. Both sides spread negative stories about the other. Jackson's victory in the 1828 election, especially in Kentucky, upset Clay. He saw it as a rejection of his policies.
Later Political Career
Jackson's Presidency and the Whig Party
Even out of office, Clay was still a major rival to President Jackson. Clay strongly opposed Jackson's Indian Removal Act of 1830. He also disagreed with Jackson's veto of the Maysville Road project, which would have connected parts of Kentucky to the National Road. Jackson believed the federal government should not fund such projects.
Clay returned to the Senate in 1831. He became the leader of the National Republicans. He prepared to run for president in the 1832 election.
The Bank War and 1832 Election
The main issue in the 1832 election was the national bank. The Second Bank of the United States was the largest corporation in the country. Jackson disliked the bank and paper money. The bank's charter was set to expire in 1836, but its president, Nicholas Biddle, asked for it to be renewed early. Congress passed the bill to renew the bank's charter, but Jackson vetoed it, saying it was unconstitutional.
Clay hoped the bank issue would help him win. However, Jackson's supporters argued that the election was a choice between the president and a "monied oligarchy" (a group of wealthy people). Clay lost the election to Jackson by a large margin.
Ending the Nullification Crisis
High tariffs (taxes on imports) from 1828 and 1832 angered many Southerners. South Carolina declared these tariffs "nullified" (invalid) within their state. This was called the Nullification Crisis. Jackson strongly opposed this and threatened to use force.
Clay, though he liked tariffs, wanted to avoid a civil war. He proposed a compromise tariff bill that would slowly lower tariff rates. This bill gained support from both manufacturers and John C. Calhoun, who wanted to end the crisis. The Tariff of 1833 passed Congress. Jackson signed both the tariff bill and a bill allowing him to use force. South Carolina accepted the new tariff, ending the crisis. Clay's role in this earned him the nickname "Great Compromiser."
Forming the Whig Party
After the Nullification Crisis, Jackson continued his fight against the national bank. He removed all federal money from the national bank and put it into state banks. Many people thought this was illegal. Clay led the Senate in criticizing Jackson's actions.
Jackson's opponents, including National Republicans, formed the Whig Party. Clay gave a speech in 1834 comparing Jackson's opponents to the British "Whigs" who opposed absolute monarchy. Whigs generally wanted a stronger Congress, a stronger federal government, higher tariffs, more spending on infrastructure, and a national bank. Democrats wanted a stronger president, stronger state governments, lower tariffs, and westward expansion.
Clay did not run in the 1836 election. The Whigs were not organized enough to pick one candidate. Three Whig candidates ran against Martin Van Buren, hoping to force the election into the House. Van Buren won the election.
Van Buren and Tyler Presidencies
{{File:1839WhigPresidentialNomination1stBallot.png|thumb|upright=1.4|Clay (brown) won the backing of several state delegations on the first ballot of the 1839 Whig National Convention, but William Henry Harrison ultimately won the party's presidential nomination.]] Van Buren's presidency was hurt by the Panic of 1837, a major economic downturn. Clay and other Whigs blamed Jackson's policies for the panic. Clay promoted his American System as a way to recover.
For the 1840 election, many expected the Whigs to win. Clay, William Henry Harrison, and Winfield Scott were the main Whig candidates. Many Whigs worried that Clay could not win after two previous losses. Harrison won the Whig nomination. To balance the ticket, the Whigs chose John Tyler as Vice President. Clay was disappointed but helped Harrison's successful campaign.
Clashing with President Tyler
President Harrison died just one month into his term, and Vice President John Tyler became president. Tyler was a former Democrat and disagreed with many Whig ideas, especially about re-establishing a national bank. Clay expected Tyler to approve Whig laws, including a new national bank, higher tariffs, and a national bankruptcy law.
However, Tyler vetoed two bills to re-establish the national bank. This angered Clay and other Whig leaders. Congressional Whigs voted to remove Tyler from their party. All of Harrison's Cabinet members, except Secretary of State Daniel Webster, resigned. Clay became the clear leader of the Whig Party. In 1842, Clay resigned from the Senate. Tyler did sign some Whig laws, like the Tariff of 1842.
The 1844 Presidential Election
With Tyler out of the Whig Party, Clay was the top choice for the 1844 Whig presidential nomination. President Tyler wanted to annex (add) the Republic of Texas to the U.S., which would add another slave state. Clay announced his opposition to annexation, saying it would cause tensions over slavery and war with Mexico.
Clay won the Whig nomination. However, Democrats nominated James K. Polk, who supported annexing Texas. Polk was the first "dark horse" (unexpected) presidential nominee. Whigs made fun of him, but Polk was a strong candidate.
Clay's stance on slavery and Texas annexation hurt his campaign. Many Southerners who wanted Texas joined Polk. Many Northern abolitionists voted for a third party. Clay tried to clarify his position on Texas, but Democrats used this to say he was inconsistent. Polk narrowly won the election. After Polk's victory, Congress approved the annexation of Texas.
Later Years and the Compromise of 1850
After the 1844 election, Clay returned to being a lawyer. He was still interested in politics. In 1846, the Mexican–American War began. Clay did not publicly oppose the war at first, but privately he thought it was wrong. He suffered a personal tragedy in 1847 when his son, Henry Clay Jr., died in the war. In November 1847, Clay spoke out against the war and President Polk.
By 1847, General Zachary Taylor became a strong contender for the Whig nomination in the 1848 election. Clay did not want to support Taylor, who was a military man with unknown political views. Clay announced his own candidacy. Taylor won the nomination. Clay was disappointed and did not campaign for Taylor. Still, Taylor won the election.
Worried about tensions over slavery in new territories, Clay accepted election to the Senate in 1849. In January 1850, Congress was stuck on what to do with the land gained from the Mexican–American War. Clay proposed a compromise. His plan included:
- Admitting California as a free state.
- Texas giving up some land claims for debt relief.
- Creating New Mexico and Utah territories.
- Banning the slave trade in Washington, D.C.
- A stronger fugitive slave law.
President Taylor opposed Clay's plan. Clay openly disagreed with the president. Taylor died unexpectedly in July 1850. President Millard Fillmore, who supported Clay's plan, worked with Clay to form a new Cabinet. Clay left the Senate due to illness, but Fillmore, Daniel Webster, and Stephen A. Douglas helped pass the bill. By September 1850, Clay's proposal, known as the Compromise of 1850, became law. Clay was seen as the key figure in ending this major crisis.
Death
In December 1851, at age 74, Clay's health was failing. He announced he would resign from the Senate the next September. He never recovered and died from illness on June 29, 1852, in Washington, D.C. He was the first person to lie in state in the United States Capitol rotunda.
Clay's headstone reads: "I know no North—no South—no East—no West."
Beliefs and Slavery
The American System
Throughout his career, Clay promoted his American System. It was an economic plan meant to unite the country. Clay believed in an active government that would help create a fairer economy. The American System had four main parts:
- High tariffs: Taxes on imported goods to protect American businesses.
- Stable financial system: Support for a national bank to regulate banking and provide credit.
- Federal investment in infrastructure: Government spending on roads, canals, and other transportation to connect the country.
- Public land sales: Using money from selling public land to fund education and infrastructure in the states.
Views on Slavery
Clay inherited slaves as a child and owned slaves his entire life. However, he also believed slavery was a "grievous wrong." He never called for it to end immediately, but he did support slowly freeing slaves in Kentucky and Missouri. He also supported equal treatment for free black people. In 1849, he wrote a letter supporting gradual emancipation in Kentucky, but only if it included a plan to send freed black people out of the state.
In 1816, Clay helped start the American Colonization Society. This group wanted to create a colony in Africa for free American black people. Clay supported this because he believed a multiracial society would not work well. Later, he worried about abolitionism (the movement to end slavery). He felt that extreme views on both sides threatened the country. However, he defended the right of abolitionists to send materials through the mail.
Clay owned 122 enslaved people at his estate, Ashland. He considered himself a "good" master and tried to keep families together. However, he also wrote that "slavery is slavery," even in its "most mitigated form." His will arranged for the gradual freedom of the slaves he owned when he died in 1852. However, some were given to his son, John.
In 1829, one of Clay's enslaved people, Charlotte Dupuy, sued for her freedom. She worked for wages for 18 months while her case was heard. The case was embarrassing for Clay, but he won. He later freed Dupuy and two of her children.
Another enslaved person, Aaron Dupuy (Charlotte's husband), was ordered to be whipped by Clay's wife. He fought back. He was not freed when Clay died.
In about 1836, Clay sold an enslaved mother, Esther Harvey, and her son to the South. They were the family of Lewis Hayden, a waiter. In 1842, Hayden was threatened with the sale of his second wife, Harriet Bell Hayden, and her son. He got help from Delia Webster and Rev. Calvin Fairbank to escape using the Underground Railroad. The Haydens moved to Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada.
Webster and Fairbank were imprisoned for helping in the escape. Lewis Richardson, another enslaved person of Clay's, escaped in 1846. He later gave a speech describing harsh conditions and a beating he received at Ashland.
Legacy and Recognition
Historical Importance
Clay's Whig Party fell apart four years after his death. However, Clay's influence continued. Many believed that if someone like Henry Clay had been in Congress in 1860–61, the Civil War might have been avoided. Clay's friend, John J. Crittenden, tried to keep the Union together with the Crittenden Compromise, but it failed. Still, Kentucky remained in the Union during the Civil War, partly due to Clay's lasting influence.
Abraham Lincoln greatly admired Clay, calling him "my ideal of a great man." Lincoln supported Clay's economic plans and had similar views on slavery and the Union before the Civil War. Some historians think that if Clay had won the 1844 election, the Mexican-American War and the Civil War might have been prevented.
Clay is considered one of the most important political figures of his time. Many historians see him as one of the most influential Speakers of the House. In 1957, a Senate Committee named Clay one of the five greatest U.S. senators. A 1986 survey ranked him as the greatest senator in U.S. history. Some historians even suggest calling his era the "Clay Era" instead of the "Jacksonian Era" because of his great influence.
Monuments and Memorials
Many places and things are named after Henry Clay. Sixteen counties across the U.S. are named Clay County. Towns like Clay, Kentucky, and Claysville, Pennsylvania, also bear his name. The United States Navy named a submarine, the USS Henry Clay, in his honor.
Several statues honor Clay, including one of Kentucky's two statues in the National Statuary Hall Collection. Clay's home, Ashland, is a National Historic Landmark. The Decatur House, where he lived in Washington, D.C., as Secretary of State, is also a National Historic Landmark. A town in Liberia, West Africa, was named Clay-Ashland after him, where freed slaves from Kentucky settled.
Images for kids
-
Henry Clay's signature
See also
In Spanish: Henry Clay para niños
- An Act for the Admission of the State of California
- List of slave owners
- List of United States Congress members who died in office (1790–1899)
