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Date of birth
Henry Clay Sr. was born on April 12, 1777, in Hanover County, Virginia. -
Admitted to bar; moves to Kentucky
In 1797 he was admitted to the Virginia bar. Then, like a number of ambitious young lawyers, Clay moved to Lexington, Kentucky, a hotbed of land-title lawsuits. Clay mingled well in his new home. He was sociable, didn't hide his tastes for drinking and gambling, and developed a deep love for horses. -
Clay marries Lucretia Hart
Henry marries Lucretia Hart, in 1799. The two remained married for more than 50 years, having 11 children together. -
Elected to the Kentucky General Assembly
In 1803, Henry was elected to the Kentucky General Assembly. Voters moved toward Clay's Jeffersonian politics, which early on saw him push for a liberalization of the state's constitution. He also strongly opposed the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798. -
Sent to U.S. Senate
Clay received his first taste of national politics when he was appointed to the U.S. Senate, at age 29 -
Elected to U.S. Senate
In 1809, Henry Clay was elected to U.S. Senate -
Elected to U.S. House of Representatives and Speaker of the House
In 1811, Henry Clay was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he eventually served as Speaker of the House. -
Missouri Compromise of 1820
Proposed by Henry Clay, an effort to preserve the balance of power in Congress between slave and free states, the Missouri Compromise was passed in 1820 admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state. -
Election of 1824 or "The Corrupt Bargin"
During the election of 1824, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson were tied on the electoral votes, and Congress decides who becomes president. John Quincy Adams told Clay if he vouched for him to Congress, he will make Clay Secetary of State, believing Clay will become president because of that he accepted. -
Appointed Secretary of State under John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams was elected President on February 9, 1825, after the election was decided by the House of Representatives in what was termed by some individuals a Corrupt Bargain, then appointed Clay as Secretary of State. -
Returns to Lexington to farm and practice law
After Jackson won the Election of 1828, Clay retired from politics and returned to Kentucky and practice law -
Elected U.S. Senate; nominated for Presidency
In 1831 Clay came back to D.C. and the Senate floor. Elected U.S. Senate and nominated for Presidency -
Compromise Tariff of 1833
Proposed by Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun as a resolution to the Nullification Crisis. The Compromise Tariff of 1833 slowly reduced the tariff rate and eased the tensions between the Andrew Jackson White House and Southern legislators. -
Resigns as U.S. Senator
Clay resigned from the Senate in 1842 to prepare for the 1844 presidential election -
Election of 1844
Nominated for Presidency Henry Clay, Whig Party was defeated, realizing he was unable to become president he later again returns to U.S. Senate -
Returns to U.S. Senate
After losing the election of 1844, Clay returned to U.S. Senate -
Compromise of 1850
After the Mexican War, the US tries to reach a decision on the issue of slavery in the new territory. Henry Clay proposes a new compromise. According to the compromise, California would be admitted as a free state. The Fugitive Slave Act would be introduced. The slave trade in Washington D.C. would be outlawed, and Texas would be paid $10 million for giving up some of its disputed territory. No slavery restrictions would be passed in Utah or New Mexico. -
Resigns from U.S. Senate
Clay resigns one last time from U.S. Senate months before his death -
Death date
Dies in Washington D.C. taking part in National politics til his last days, while Battling tuberculosis, he died on June 29, 1852. 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.