author
Henry Clay
1777–1852
A towering figure in early American politics, he became known as the “Great Compromiser” for helping steer the nation through some of its most dangerous sectional disputes. His long public career made him one of the best-known voices of Congress in the first half of the nineteenth century.
1 Audiobook
Henry Clay's Remarks in House and Senate
by Henry Clay
About the author
Born in Virginia in 1777, he studied law and built his career in Lexington, Kentucky. From there he rose quickly in public life, serving in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, and later as secretary of state.
He was admired for his energy, charm, and extraordinary speaking ability. Clay pushed what he called the American System, supporting a national bank, protective tariffs, and internal improvements, and he played major roles in the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850, efforts that sought to hold the Union together during bitter conflicts over slavery and expansion.
Although he ran for president several times and never won, his influence on American politics was enormous. Remembered as one of the central statesmen of his era, he died in Washington, D.C., in 1852.