Henry Clay Biography

Occup.Statesman
FromUSA
BornApril 12, 1777
Hanover County, Virginia, USA
DiedJune 29, 1852
Washington, D.C., USA
CauseStroke
Aged75 years
Henry Clay was born on April 12, 1777, in Hanover County, Virginia, to John Clay and Elizabeth Hudson Clay. He was the 7th of 9 kids as well as matured in a small Quaker home. Following his father's fatality in 1780, the household dealt with monetary difficulties, however his mother remarried and gave him with chances to continue his education and learning.

Clay studied at a neighborhood grammar school and later with a prominent Scottish tutor, where he mastered public talking as well as developed his questioning abilities. In 1792, he relocated to Lexington, Kentucky, to seek an occupation in regulation. He passed bench examination in 1797 and also opened a law method in Lexington.

In 1799, Clay wed Lucretia Hart, with whom he would certainly have 11 kids. Lucretia sustained him throughout his political occupation, which formally started with his political election to the Kentucky General Assembly in 1803. He would certainly take place to have a long and impactful profession in the United States politics, functioning as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, the United States Senate, and Secretary of State.

One of Clay's major achievements was his function in writing and also promoting the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which looked for to preserve an equilibrium in between slave and cost-free states in the Union. The compromise allowed Missouri to get in the Union as a servant state while confessing Maine as a totally free state. It likewise restricted the spread of slavery in the Louisiana Territory north of the 36 ˚ 30' parallel.

Throughout his profession, Clay was understood for his oratorical skills and his capability to create concessions in times of political rivalry. As a solid advocate for a government economic plan that would boost development and also nationwide unity, he earned the label "The Great Compromiser". His financial vision, referred to as the "American System", emphasized the value of framework growth, a safety tariff to motivate domestic industry, and a solid national bank to advertise financial stability.

Clay unsuccessfully ran for head of state 5 times (in 1824, 1832, 1840, 1844, and also 1848). He came closest to winning the presidency in the debatable political election of 1824 when no candidate obtained a bulk of the selecting ballots, as well as the result was made a decision by the House of Representatives. However, Clay was removed from the last vote, which ultimately selected John Quincy Adams as president. Adams consequently appointed Clay as his Secretary of State, a consultation that some regarded as a "corrupt deal" as a result of Clay's endorsement of Adams throughout your house vote.

Henry Clay was a strong advocate for the preservation of the United States, and also he worked relentlessly throughout his career to fend off the eruption of sectional tensions. Unfortunately, Clay died on June 29, 1852, a decade before the American Civil War would certainly erupt. His initiatives to preserve unity via political compromise still reverberate in the nation's history, as he continues to be one of one of the most significant and effective legislators in United States background.

Our collection contains 10 quotes who is written / told by Henry, under the main topic Government.

Related authors: William Pennington (Politician), James K. Polk (President), Lawrence Taylor (Athlete), John Quincy Adams (President)

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10 Famous quotes by Henry Clay

Small: If you wish to avoid foreign collision, you had better abandon the ocean
"If you wish to avoid foreign collision, you had better abandon the ocean"
Small: I would rather be right than President
"I would rather be right than President"
Small: I have heard something said about allegiance to the South. I know no South, no North, no East, no West,
"I have heard something said about allegiance to the South. I know no South, no North, no East, no West, to which I owe any allegiance"
Small: Government is a trust, and the officers of the government are trustees. And both the trust and the trus
"Government is a trust, and the officers of the government are trustees. And both the trust and the trustees are created for the benefit of the people"
Small: Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appre
"Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart"
Small: An oppressed people are authorized whenever they can to rise and break their fetters
"An oppressed people are authorized whenever they can to rise and break their fetters"
Small: The Constitution of the United States was made not merely for the generation that then existed, but for
"The Constitution of the United States was made not merely for the generation that then existed, but for posterity- unlimited, undefined, endless, perpetual posterity"
Small: Statistics are no substitute for judgment
"Statistics are no substitute for judgment"
Small: Of all the properties which belong to honorable men, not one is so highly prized as that of character
"Of all the properties which belong to honorable men, not one is so highly prized as that of character"
Small: Of all human powers operating on the affairs of mankind, none is greater than that of competition
"Of all human powers operating on the affairs of mankind, none is greater than that of competition"