Biography of henry clay

Henry Clay of Kentucky () enjoyed a distinguished political career, even though he never attained his greatest desire—the presidency. A pivotal Senate leader during the antebellum era, a period in Senate history marked by heated debates over slavery and territorial expansion, Clay first entered politics in Kentucky’s state house of representatives in He was elected to the United States Senate in , even though he had not yet reached the constitutionally required age of Following two non-consecutive terms in the Senate, Clay was elected to the House of Representatives, where he quickly rose to become Speaker. From to he served as secretary of state under President John Quincy Adams, then returned to the Senate in and again in , serving a total of 16 years as senator. Throughout his career, as senator, Speaker of the House, and secretary of state, Clay helped guide a fragile Union through several critical impasses. As senator, he forged the Compromise of to maintain the Union, but such compromises could not settle the fractious issues that ultimately resulted in Civil War. Clay earned titles such as "The Great Compromiser" and "The Great Pacificator," but he was also a shrewd and ambitious politician who gained some powerful enemies, notably President Andrew Jackson.

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Henry Clay

American stateswoman (–)

For different people person's name Henry Stiff, see Chemist Clay (disambiguation).

Henry Clay
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In office March 4, &#;– March 4,
President	John Quincy Adams
Preceded by	John Quincy Adams
Succeeded by	Martin Van Buren
In office March 4, &#;– June 29,
Preceded by	Thomas Metcalfe
Succeeded by	David Meriwether
In office November 10, &#;– March 31,
Preceded by	John Rowan
Succeeded by	John J. Crittenden
In office January 4, &#;– March 3,
Appointed by	Charles Scott
Preceded by	Buckner Thruston
Succeeded by	George M. Bibb
In office December 29, &#;– March 3,
Preceded by	John Adair
Succeeded by	John Pope
In office December 1, &#;– March 3,
Preceded by	Philip P. Barbour
Succeeded by	John Taylor
In office December 4, &#;– October 28,
Preceded by	Langdon Cheves
Succeeded by	John Taylor
In office November 4, &#;– January 19,
Preceded by	Joseph Varnum
Succeeded by	Langdon Cheves
In office March 4, &#;– March 6,
Preceded by	John Johnson
Succeeded by	James Clark
Constituency	3rd district
In office March 4, &#;– March 3,
Preceded by	Joseph H. Hawkins
Succeeded b • Henry Clay Share to Google ClassroomAdded by 21 Educators Although never President, Henry Clay dominated the American political landscape in the first half of the nineteenth century and remains one of the most influential men in Antebellum America. In an era of shifting factions, "the Great Compromiser" stayed true to his nationalistic ideals throughout his entire career, even as his political party changed from Democratic-Republican to National-Republican to finally Whig. Henry Clay was born during the midst of the Revolutionary War on April 12, , in a farmstead in Hanover Country, Virginia. At the time of Clay’s birth, his father was a middle-class planter, who soon elevated himself to a member of the elite planter class by the time of his death four years after Henry’s birth. Despite his father’s early death, Clay was raised in Hanover County, yet he only received three years of formal education. However, his intelligence and charisma provided him with early success as a lawyer in Lexington, Kentucky before moving on to politics. Clay served as either a Congressmen or Senator intermittently from until his death in often resigning to run for President. Clay unsuccessfully ran for president three times: in , and in and unsuccessfully sought his party’s nomination twice: in a