Henry Clay: Statesman for the Union by Robert V. Remini

Clay was the man who might have been President of the United States if fate had been kinder and he hadn't made a few critical errors of judgment. Born in a hollar in Virginia, Clay made his fame as a Kentucky lawyer and politician. He was a persuasive orator, often compared to Patrick Henry of the previous generation. He was charismatic, personable, a notorious gambler, a ladies' man, with a wicked and corrosive wit. His failing was due to hubris and a willingness to follow his own vision without regard to reality.

In Washington he was quickly made Speaker of the House. He helped negotiate the Treaty of Ghent ending the War of 1812. He became the first powerful Speaker of the House before a term as Secretary of State, where he became a powerful advocate for Latin American independence, and then as a US Senator. He gained much of his reputation by engineering the Missouri Compromise of 1820 as well as the Compromise of 1850—both major deals between the states that allowed them to continue working together while leaving the issue of slavery for another day; and the Compromise of 1833, which helped mitigate the crises between Andy Jackson and the southern Nullifiers over tariffs. All of these were nearly intractable issues that Clay somehow found a middle path for. Each one of these dilemmas would reemerge in the guise of the Civil War once he had passed from the scene.

Clay's great mistake was to make Andrew Jackson his lifelong enemy by helping deny him the presidency in 1824 and throwing it to John Quincy Adams instead. Whether he sincerely believed Jackson was unqualified, or his ambition and lack of scruples caused him to overreach, is a matter of opinion but the results were the same—a damaged reputation that was never regained despite his profound triumphs.

Robert Remini is a well respected biographer of the era between the War of 1812 and the Civil War. His work includes the definitive three volume Andrew Jackson bio, as well as biographies of Martin Van Buren, Daniel Webster, and John Quincy Adams. This work never dragged despite the great depth of information Remini included. Henry Clay: Statesman for the Union is recommended for all history buffs.