How was US senator Henry Clay significant to US history?

If there's one thing you need to know about this guy, it's that he was very, very important. Henry Clay loved the United States. Born right after 1776 in Virginia, he was born and raised American. Elected to the House of Representatives at 34 and ... read more

Henry Clay loved the United States. Born right after 1776 in Virginia, he was born and raised American. Elected to the House of Representatives at 34 and dying as a Senator at 75. read more

Leader of the Whig party and five times an unsuccessful presidential candidate, Henry Clay (1777-1852) played a central role on the stage of national politics for over forty years. read more

Born on April 12, 1777, in Hanover County, Virginia, Henry Clay worked as a frontier lawyer before becoming a Kentucky senator and then speaker of the House of Representatives. He was secretary of state under John Quincy Adams in the 1820s, later returning to Congress, and pushed for the Compromise of 1850, with overall conflicting stances on race and slavery. read more