The Great Compromiser: Henry Clay and His Views on Foreign Policy

In the Election of 1824, Jackson ran for president and won the popular vote, however he did not win the majority vote in the electoral college. Therefore, the House of Representatives would be left to decide who would be the next president. John Quincy Adams was running against Jackson. Adams wrote a letter to Henry Clay, a representative, saying that if Clay could convince the House to vote for him, he would give Henry Clay the job of Secretary of State.

Is it wrong for a president to do what he thinks is best for his country? As a young nation – which just finished a costly war – could America afford to get involved with another conflict with nations more powerful than itself? Madison – like Adams and Jefferson – had to deal with Washington’s foreign policy. Unlike the other presidents, Madison felt like the foreign policy wasn’t right; so he changed it from isolationism to intervention. The previous foreign policy – known as isolationism – meant that America had to try to stay out of disputes between opposing countries. After Madison changed America’s policy, it became known as intervention: America’s duty was to stand up for itself. Madison did a lot of things before changing the

Andrew Jackson’s path to presidency was unique. In the election of 1824, there were four main candidates, John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, William H. Crawford, and Andrew Jackson. Jackson gained the most popular votes of the four Democratic-Republican candidates, but not the majority of electoral votes to win the election. Henry Clay, who was eliminated from the election, held a decisive position as the speaker of the House of Representatives. Clay was in a position to throw the election to the candidate of his choice. Clay threw his support behind Adams since he had led some of the strongest attacks against Jackson. Rather than the nation’s presidency go to a man he abhorred, Clay secured the White House for Adams. In return Adams named

The “Corrupt Bargain” of 1824 – Henry Clay, speaker of the house opposed Andrew Jackson and supported John Quincy Adams. When it was time to vote, John Quincy Adams got the majority even though Jackson had the popular vote. Jackson believed Adams and Clay struck a deal that Adams would win in return for Clay becoming Secretary of State.

Henry Clay was a titanic figure on the American political scene during the first half of the nineteenth century. The late Dr. Robert Remini did him honor with his Henry Clay: Statesman for the Union. Clay's career mirrored the trajectory of U.S. politics from the generation of the Revolution to the threshold of the Civil War. This era saw the domination of America by the contest between Jacksonian democrats and the nation's Great Triumvirate of John C. Calhoun, Daniel Webster and Henry Clay. These last three have declined in public recognition in recent decades, but they towered over public discourse between 1812 and the 1850s.

The American System was a plan created by Henry Clay. It had three parts to it, that Henry Clay was hoping would bring the nation closer together, and benefit everyone. It called for a strong banking system that would provide easy and abundant credit, He also put in place a protective tariff. The revenue from the tariff would pay for the third part of the American System, the creation of roads and canals, mainly into the new Ohio Valley. Food and equipment would flow freely over these new routs, increasing trade and business greatly throughout most of the states. The American System of Henry Clay never came to fruition, however. President Madison deemed it unconstitutional, and instead, Congress voted to distribute $1.5 million to the states,

     John Quincy Adams, the son of former president John Adams, had a very rich political background prior to the election of 1824. In 1803, he was elected to the senate. He spent a few years in the senate, and then in 1809, James Madison appointed Adams his minister to St. Petersburg. He helped to bring about the end of The War of 1812 by help negotiate the Treaty of Ghent in 1814. After the war was over he became the minister to London in 1815. Then in 1817, James Monroe appointed Adams his secretary of state.5 Adams supported protective tariffs and federal programs that were intended for internal improvements. He was also had a much more formal manner than the other candidates.6

Second, Andrew Jackson had very successful political career. After he resigned from being a senate, he once again was reelected to the U.S senate in 1822. After that the state group rallied around him, and then the he was nominated for the U.S presidency by the Pennsylvania convention. Even though Andrew Jackson was the

Clay placed these War Hawks in the most important committees, even though several were also new congressmen. Clay was able to do this without upsetting senior representatives because of the fairness he still gave to his colleagues. Senior congressmen respected Clay’s speaking abilities, youth, experience as a senator, and respect for American rights. The position was now more powerful as well as effective. Clay always had a clear agenda of what was to be discussed that day. He worked with committees to achieve his goals and specifically war legislation as the War of 1812 was approaching. Earlier speakers acted as a guide to the House of Representatives, and refrained from debates and votes. Henry Clay used his personality and initial popularity to debate and produce the majority needed.

After becoming a national hero, Andrew Jackson wanted to further his career in politics. Jackson had held office in the government before, but not for any significant time period. Jackson decided to run for president against John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and William Crawford in 1824, but he lost. However, he did receive the most electoral and popular votes and when this happens, the vote goes to the House of Representatives. Henry

Young men who have never experienced a war or any kind of battle and saw the deaths and destructions caused by the fighting would be greatly surprised that it is not all glory. “Another factor leading to the war was the number of British-allied Indian attacks in the Ohio Valley” (Shi and Tindall 238). Men, women, and children were viciously killed by Indians in several encounters. Because of this, these young men would think twice. Washington, Adams, and Jefferson would think differently than John C. Calhoun and Henry Clay because they had seen war and were aware of the carnage that happens to people in a war where the younger folks think it is all glory, but it isn’t.

Andrew Jackson of Tennessee and William Crawford former sectary of war and treasury of state. Candidates fought and campaigned for the presidential seat that although Jackson won the popular vote also no candidate won a majority in the Electoral College. Like the 1828 presidential elections, the final two candidates where Jackson and Adams; the vote was to be decided by the house of representatives. Henry Clay who was the presiding chief speaker at that time made a corrupt bargain with John Quincy Adams, which made John Q Adams win the election, however, he made Henry Clay the secretary of states. Adams victory caused dispute between Adams supporters and Jackson’s supporters, which gave John Quincy Adams a terrible presidency due to `the hostility he experienced from the Jacksonians in

     In this paper I am going to talk about how Henry Clay Frick was an important man to our history and some things that he contributed. Not only was he a successful industrialist, but an art patron and a philanthropist. He was one of the most important people that helped put Pittsburgh on the map.

Foreign policy is an issue that when viewed many people tend to focus heavy on the political, military, and social point of views. Tending to be more concern with wars, government affairs, and immigration but foreign affairs can also include economic gain as well. For the large part of Jefferson views in foreign policy was economics with his largest accomplishment being the Louisiana Purchase, Burr conspiracy, Florida and Haiti, and The Barbary War. Each of this are topics that deal with foreign affairs but play a huge role in the American government. The connection between foreign affairs and the views of government is a strong one as the best interest of that country has to be taken in accountant whether or not it's beneficial to the respected

Henry Clay was a prime suspect since the beginning due to his strong belief in the American System and Jackson’s strong disapproval of it. Henry Clay created the American system in order to preserve the Bank of America and develop the nation’s internal infrastructure through roads and canals. Jackson denied both of these. Clay advocated for the bank and believed it should be rechartered. Jefferson, however, deemed this establishment as corrupt and vetoed the recharter. This may have enraged Henry Clay because this bank was crucial to his economic plan. Another example Jackson disrespecting his plan was shown through the Maysville Road veto, which was evidence given by the kidnapper. This road was going to be constructed to link Lexington and Maysville in order to purchase stock. His veto was seen as a personal attack on Henry Clay rather than a beneficial political choice. Henry Clay was angered by this disapproval because his American