Henry Clay and American Politics - Paper Example

Henry Clay`s birth was on April 12, 1777, to a large family of nine children, with him being the seventh, in Hanover County, Virginia. Clays father owned more than 20 slaves, and they were a well to do family. He was famous for his oratorical skills, which for the most part made him a successful lawyer as he knew the trade of gambling considerably well. Later on in the year 1799, he married Lucretia Hart (Paulus & Sarah 29). They had 11 children after that with 7 of them dying in their early ages. Clay was drawn to politics with Jeffersonian-republican party as his party in Kentucky. In the year 1803, he was elected to the Kentucky Legislature and later re-elected and became the speaker of the party. In 1811, he was elected as speaker of the house.

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Henry Clay supported the emancipation of slaves. John Quincy Adams won the presidency in the year 1824 and chose Henry Clay to be his secretary of state. This was highly opposed by many who deemed it to be an irregular move. He later went on to become the leader of the National Republican party in 1831. Henry Clay was known for being a remarkable compromise as seen in the Tariff Compromise of 1833. Henry Clay died in the year 1852.

Through his achievements, Henry Clay opened many doors for the youth in Congress allowing anyone of any age to be considered for high positions such as Speaker of the House. A place, that long ago, would have only been awarded to older men because they were deemed to be wiser. Younger people then could not have been considered for such high positions. His time as speaker of the house transformed the speaker from a mere parliamentarian to a political force who had power over legislative agendas. This can be seen today in parliament where the speaker has the power to vote on critical legislation.

Henry Clay openly showed his unwillingness to support slavery. He was a co-founder of the American Colonization Society which advocated for the freed slaves to be sent back to Africa-Liberia. As the number of freed slaves grew in Liberia, it was considered a colony. This was because the founders thought that the freed slaves would have a better chance of a good life in Africa. Liberia grew until it was declared an independent state in the year 1847 under the watchful eye of the organization. It attained economic stability and the very first non-white governor-Joseph Jenkins Roberts- was employed in the same year.

Consequently, over the years in America, slavery was looked down upon until it was finally abolished. People no longer accept slavery as a form of trade and all the slaves were granted their freedom. When Henry Clay openly criticized slavery even when he had so much power, it gave people who had no power at all, for example, Martin Luther King, the confidence to speak out against their oppressors. It, in turn, led to many people rising against the trade to support the slaves and give them hope for a better tomorrow.

He fought for improved relations between the United States of America and Latin America which greatly benefited the country. He was greatly against the annexation of Texas as he thought it would lead to war with Mexico. Texians fought the Mexicans and defeated them. Texas, however, was not declared independent and was governed by an interim government. It, later on, got its independence in 1836. In the same year, the war was waged on Texas by the Mexican president in retaliation. The Texian Army got military training, faced the Mexicans and won. In 1845, the United States wanted to annex Texas but was opposed by Mexico.

Henry Clay, through the compromise of 1833 reduced tax rates. The high tax rates cost South Carolina a lot of money they had to pay as tax leading to many industries closing down. Moreover, it led to South Carolina threatening to secede, but the issue was resolved in time. South Carolina, therefore, rescinded that move to secede and nullified it and over the years it has grown and provided lots of job opportunities for Americans. Over 3,000 people have been employed in various jobs in South Carolina. The new tariff rates also paved the way for better ideas to be introduced and implemented throughout the years.

The war between Britain and America in the year 1812 was substantially supported by Henry Clay and the other war hawks. The war occurred because of their support for it. They wanted to expand their territory and get their power back especially on trade. America suffered a significant loss in the war, and the nations capital was captured. The U.S also had a few victories during the war that boosted their confidence. The war is a vital part of the American history as it inspired a poet by the name Francis Scott to write a poem, which was later adopted as the United States national anthem. He was inspired by some soldiers who hoisted the American flag after 25 hours of withstanding the British navy. Britain also incurred high losses which included British troops and supplies.

In the year 1814, a peace treaty was signed which is widely known as the Treaty of Ghent. It was quickly followed by a British attack on America in New Orleans. America, however, was victorious. The war led to the ban of the Federalist Party whose commitment of patriotism was questionable. Even though the war had a negative outcome which includes loss of property and life, it also had a positive result. The war was significantly boosted by the confidence of American citizens in its country and its leadership. Most of the issues between Britain and America were resolved, and America was taking steps to show it could fully be independent of Britain.

Henry Clay also introduced the American system which greatly helped and influenced the countrys economy (Baxter & Maurice 76). This included the establishment of a national bank. It also included a single currency. It enabled one to be awarded sovereign credit if need be. This system also led to the improvement of infrastructure which boosted trade as it was easier to transit services and goods from one place to another. It also made it easier for individuals to traverse across the country as it was now readily interconnected by the different routes. Public lands were purchased, and the proceeds used to educate citizens and also to improve on areas that needed to be improved or upgraded. This system was later on adopted by the Republican party.

All these things have boosted the economy today and have changed the society from what it was then to how it is now. For example, the right relations of the United States of America and the Latin America have boosted trade between the two countries (Spannaus et al. 103). Almost 80% of Americas oil imports go to Latin America and may make Mexico one of the biggest trading partners of the United States. One is a major importer and the other a major exporter. Young people now are free to be considered for high-ranking positions without the stereotype of it. In fact, in this current day and time young people are the most innovative and creative. Once that door was opened it was opened for all. The color of skin has since been a non-factor in the society. All races are accepted and are free to live in any part of the word. Liberia has since become a full-fledged country running on its own.

The American system has enabled many of its citizens and individuals from many other parts of the world to get an education and improve their standards of living. It has also given room for more innovations in infrastructure over the years as there are even more convenient modes of transport such as jets, cars, boats, and airplanes. The war of 18812 between America and Britain also led to many achievements after that. America was able to get the respect of Britain as a country on its own. It also boosted relations between people in government and eased tensions that were present among them. The American national anthem which is a patriotic song was also inspired by the war. Therefore, all these significant parts of history influenced by Henry Clay in one way or the other has transcended generations to this day.

Works cited

Baxter, Maurice G. Henry Clay the Lawyer. University Press of Kentucky, 2015.

Paulus, Sarah Bischoff. "America's Long Eulogy for Compromise: Henry Clay and American Politics, 1854-58." The Journal of the Civil War Era 4.1 (2014): 28-52.

Spannaus, Nancy, et al. The Political Economy of the American Revolution. Executive Intelligence Review, 2015.