It was not to be: he was elected to the Senate in , where he spent more than a decade engrossed once more in the most pressing issues facing the country. Clay made clear his opposition, but true to his moniker, he sought compromise. In , Clay introduced a moderate tariff bill that drew the support of Senator John C.
Calhoun and the other nullifiers, thus avoiding a constitutional crisis—at least for the time being. Clay also returned to the struggle over the national bank, forcing the issue of its renewal into the presidential campaign as nominee for the National Republican Party. It became clear, however, that a majority of voters opposed the bank, and Jackson trounced Clay. Soundly defeated, Clay returned to the Senate and became head of the newly formed Whig Party.
The decade and a half that followed featured many years out of the Senate and more failed attempts to win the presidency. And in his race against James Polk, Clay opposed the annexation of Texas , sealing his defeat in the face of national obsession with manifest destiny. For his last hurrah, Clay returned to the issue of slavery.
Together with Senators Daniel Webster of Massachusetts and Calhoun—the trio known as the Great Triumvirate —Clay put together an omnibus bill addressing several heated disputes, among them the admission of California as a state; the creation of the Utah and New Mexico territories; and the status of the Fugitive Slaves Act.
Although the Compromise of did not prevent civil war, it delayed confrontation for several years. Henry Clay died of tuberculosis on June 29, , still serving as a United States Senator from his beloved home state of Kentucky.
He was laid in state at the Capitol—the first to be honored as such—and ultimately laid to rest in Lexington. Nicandro Iannacci is a web content strategist at the National Constitution Center. Toggle navigation. Addressing his fellow lawmakers soon after his first selection, Clay said: I am sensible of the imperfections which I bring along with me, and a consciousness of these would deter me from attempting a discharge of the duties of the chair, did I not rely confidently upon your support.
At the center of the presidential election was Clay's support for the renewal of the charter of the Second Bank of the United States, whose creation in Clay had fought hard for. But the issues around it proved to be Clay's undoing. Jackson vehemently opposed the bank and the renewal of its charter. He alleged it was a corrupt institution and had helped steer the nation toward higher inflation. The voters sided with him.
After the election Clay remained in the Senate, taking on Jackson and becoming the head of the Whig Party.
The decade following his loss to Jackson for the presidency proved to be a frustrating period for Clay. In , he had every reason to expect to be nominated as the Whigs' candidate for the White House. He did little to hide his frustration when the party turned to General William Henry Harrison , who selected John Tyler as his running mate.
After Harrison's death just a month into his presidency, Clay tried to dominate Tyler and his administration, but his actions proved futile. In , he retired from the Senate and again returned to Kentucky.
Two years later, however, he was back in Washington, when the Whig Party chose him, not Tyler, as its candidate for the presidential election. But like his run a decade earlier, the election centered around one issue and this time it was the annexation of Texas.
Clay opposed the move, fearing it would provoke a war with Mexico and reignite the battle between pro-slavery and anti-slavery states. His opponent, James K. Polk , on the other hand, was an ardent supporter of making Texas a state, and the voters, smitten with the idea of Manifest Destiny, sided with him and delivered the White House to Polk. Almost right up until his last days, Clay still played a part in the nation's politics.
Battling tuberculosis, he died on June 29, Widely respected for his contributions to the country, Clay was laid in state in the Capitol rotunda, the first person ever to receive that honor.
In the days that followed his death, funeral ceremonies were held in New York, Washington and other cities. He was buried in Lexington, Kentucky. We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives.
William Henry Harrison was the ninth president of the United States and the first to die in office. Patrick Henry was an attorney, orator and a major figure of the American Revolution who is best known for his words "Give me liberty or give me death! John Quincy Adams was the sixth president of the United States.
He was also the eldest son of President John Adams, the second U. Diplomat Henry Kissinger was U. John Adams was a Founding Father, the first vice president of the United States and the second president. His son, John Quincy Adams, was the nation's sixth president. Statesman Samuel Houston was a key political figure in the creation of the state of Texas. He was elected the first president of the Republic of Texas in Robert C.
Henry Clay held that office longer than anyone in the history of the House of Representatives other than Sam Rayburn. He became as popular a figure in parts of South America as Simon Bolivar. Henry Clay argued many times before the U. Supreme Court. In so doing, he introduced the concept of the Amicus Brief to Supreme Court jurisprudence. As an attorney, Henry Clay was one of the most successful of his era. He won far more cases than he lost, becoming prominent enough to represent the likes of Aaron Burr and Cassius Clay.
As a farmer, Henry Clay became one of the most respected breeders and scientific farmers in the country.
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