USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Clay’s work on this and other issues earned him the nickname “The Great Compromiser, ” with which he is still strongly associated today. In 1824, Clay made his first run at the presidency in what amounted to an internal squabble among the Democratic-Republicans.

Detailed explanation-2: -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 1850 to maintain the Union, but such compromises could not settle the fractious issues that ultimately resulted in Civil War.

Detailed explanation-3: -Henry Clay influenced a great many future political leaders with his ideology and style. Abraham Lincoln said of Clay that he was “my beau ideal of a statesman” and adopted much of his political ideology himself.

Detailed explanation-4: -He was the seventh House speaker as well as the ninth secretary of state. He unsuccessfully ran for president in the 1824, 1832, and 1844 elections. He helped found both the National Republican Party and the Whig Party.

Detailed explanation-5: -As speaker and one of the leaders of the faction called the War Hawks, Clay was key in securing a declaration of war against Great Britain in June 1812. He also served on the American peace delegation at Ghent that negotiated the treaty signed December 24, 1814, which ended the War of 1812.