Henry Clay First elected to office in 1806 Died in Murica 2015 (today) (Independence) 239 (Years as a Nation) Henry Clay 239 / 46 = Henry Clay was directly involved with 1/5 of our Nations history. Henry Clay Senator and a Representative from Kentucky; born in the district known as the Slashes, Hanover County, Va., April 12, 1777; attended the public schools; studied law in Richmond, Va.; admitted to the bar in 1797 and commenced practice in Lexington, Ky.; member, State house of representatives 1803; elected as a Democratic Republican to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John Adair and served from November 19, 1806, to March 3, 1807, despite being younger than the constitutional age limit of thirty years; member, State house of representatives , and served as speaker in 1809; again elected as a Democratic Republican to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Buckner Thruston and served from January 4, 1810, to March 3, 1811; elected as a Democratic Republican to the Twelfth and Thirteenth Congresses and served from March 4, 1811, to January 19, 1814, when he resigned; Speaker of the House of Representatives (Twelfth and Thirteenth Congresses); appointed one of the commissioners to negotiate the treaty of peace with Great Britain in 1814; elected as a Democratic Republican to the Fourteenth Congress (March 4, 1815-March 3, 1817); seat declared vacant by the governor of Kentucky, caused by the acceptance of Henry Clay to sign a commercial convention as minister plenipotentiary to Great Britain; elected in a special election as a Democratic Republican to the Fourteenth Congress to fill his own vacancy on October 30, 1815; re-elected as a Democratic Republican to the Fifteenth and succeeding Congress (March 4, 1817-March 3, 1821); Speaker of the House of Representatives (Fourteenth, Fifteenth and Sixteenth Congresses); elected to the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Congresses and served from March 3, 1823, to March 6, 1825, when he resigned; again served as Speaker of the House of Representatives (Eighteenth Congress); appointed Secretary of State by President John Quincy Adams ; elected as a National Republican to the United States Senate on November 10, 1831, to fill the vacancy in the term commencing March 4, 1831; reelected as a Whig in 1836 and served from November 10, 1831, until March 31, 1842, when he resigned; chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations (Twenty-third and Twenty-fourth Congresses), Committee on Finance (Twenty-seventh Congress); unsuccessful presidential candidate of the Democratic Republican Party in 1824, of the National Republican Party in 1832, and of the Whig Party in 1844; again elected to the United States Senate and served from March 4, 1849, until his death in Washington, D.C., June 29, 1852; lay in state in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol, July 1, 1852; funeral services were held in the Senate Chamber; interment in Lexington Cemetery, Lexington, KY Henry Clay Senator from Kentucky who ran for president five times. He was a strong supporter of the American System, a war hawk for the War of 1812, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and known as "The Great Compromiser." (responsible for the Missouri Compromise). Outlined the Compromise of 1850 with five main points. Died before it was passed. Served in public office from 1806 until his death in 1852 (46 years). The American System The American System was a program for economic development championed by Henry Clay, an influential member of Congress in the early decades of the 19th century. Clay's idea was that the federal government should implement protective tariffs and internal improvements and a national bank should help develop the nation's economy. U.S. Economy England helped drive our economy. U.S. Economy England helped drive our economy. Because it was cheaper for English factories to buy U.S. goods for their factories. U.S. Economy England helped drive our economy. Because it was cheaper for English factories to buy U.S. goods for their factories. But that gave England a lot of control over our economy U.S. Economy Clay and others wanted Americans to control the American economy! With factories in the North growing and generating profit, many in the country turned their eyes westward looking to take advantage of the raw materials available. A growing population would fuel the workforce needed in the west. U.S. population figures U.S. Economy The problem was getting the raw materials, crops or goods out of the wilderness of the west, to ports where they could be sold on the world market. The National Road The Steamboat People had been using the river system of the west to transport goods for decades. The problem was that the boats only went one way The Erie Canal Use of the Erie Canal began. This opened up the Great Lakes region by cutting travel time between Buffalo & New York by 1/3 and shipping costs 9/10. Cost of the canal was $7,000,000. The Erie Canal Before the Canal was built, it cost between 19 per mile, to ship a ton of cargo between Buffalo and New York City. By 1835 that price had dropped to 3. By the Civil War, the cost was 1. The Erie Canal Canal boats were pulled by horses or mules and traveled at about four miles per hour. The boats floated in the water in the canal and the horses and mules walked beside the canal on a dirt towpath. Ropes were tied to the boat and to the horses or mules. The boat only went as fast as the horses and mules could walk. The Erie Canal, National Road, Steamboats & Railroads all opened up the economy of the west and more and more people moved west to take advantage of the opportunities. Now, all of this growth was good for the economy, but it created real problems here In 1817, Missouri applied for statehood as a slave state. 2,000 3,000 slaves were already in the Missouri territory. At this time, there were 11 free states & 11 slave states. Missouri would upset that balance. Especally, in the Senate The North had a larger percentage of the population. Because of that, Northern states had 60% of the seats in the House of Representatives. Missouri Compromise Missouris application for statehood remained blocked until 1820 when Maine applied for statehood. Missouri Compromise Henry Clay quickly saw the solution: A territory could only apply for statehood if another territory on the other side of the slavery issue was also ready to apply for statehood. Missouri Compromise But here was the problem Missouri Compromise A line was drawn at 36 30 (the southern border of Missouri) Any territory that applied for statehood afterwards that was north of 36 30 would become a free state, if it was south of the line it would become a slave state. Missouri was already in as a slave state! Missouri Because that little notch on the bottom of the state was below 36 30. Missouri Compromise 1.) Missouri was admitted as a slave state 2.) Maine (formally part of Massachusetts) was admitted as a free state 3.) Except for Missouri, slavery would be banned north of 36 30 Missouri Compromise Southerners didnt like the Missouri Compromise because it created a situation where Congress could make laws regarding slavery. Missouri Compromise Northerners didnt like the Missouri Compromise because Congress gave in and allowed slavery to expand into the west. The system wasnt perfect, but for 40 years, the Missouri Compromise would help hold the Union together.