Henry Clay and the Art of American Politics

Library of American Biography

by Clement Eaton

Gives insight into the life and character of Henry Clay, the famous Southern politician whose yearning to be president was denied.

Genres: Biography, History, American History, Nonfiction, Politics

209 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1957

About the author

A specialist in the history of the American South, Clement Eaton received his education from the University of North Carolina, where he was president of Phi Beta Kappa, and graduated in 1919. He earned his doctorate from Harvard University in 1929 and taught for a year at Clark University before accepting a position at Lafayette College, where he taught from 1931 until 1946. In that year he took a position as professor of history at the University of Kentucky,where he was named Distinguished Professor in 1956 and served as Hallam Professor from 1961 until his retirement in 1970.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though the antebellum era in American history is sometimes called the "Age of Jackson," a strong case could be made that the dominant political figure of the era wasn't Andrew Jackson but his longtime opponent Henry Clay. In a political career that stretched over the first half of the 19th century, Clay served as a state legislator, United States Congressman, Secretary of State, and United States Senator, earning the nicknames "the Great Pacificator" for the series of compromises he crafted in order to maintain sectional peace and harmony. Yet Clay failed in his three attempts to gain the highest political office in the land, and died just before all of his efforts to prevent a national schism created by slavery unraveled.

Clay has not wanted for biographers, with the result being that there are many fine books available about his life and career. Yet it is difficult to find a better introduction to the man than Clement Eaton. A distinguished historian of the antebellum South, Eaton's command of the era is on full display in this book, which manages to encapsulate both Clay's life and his times in just two hundred pages. As the title indicates, Eaton sees Clay as an artist in his ability to reconcile the often conflicting interests of an increasingly divergent nation, an ability he credits to Clay's ability to craft deals and sell them through his political abilities. Yet Eaton also identifies a change in Clay from rising young Westerner to a member of the sociopolitical elite that ran counter to the rising democratic sentiment of the era, and likely played a role in his failure to win the presidency. While Eaton's analysis begs for more elaboration than is possible in the space available, his book remains an excellent starting point for anyone seeking to learn about his charming subject, who dominated American politics in a way that few others have since.

[Michael Crofford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the cover....found it at a bookstore in Rome for a few Euros. I might try some of the other books in this Library of American Biography series.

I feel Clay would fit right in with today's politics. He is the consummate politician. He was accused of accepting the Secretary of State position under John Quincy Adams in exchange for voting for him. Although the book claims this as rumor, you get a sense that the author is rather easy and deferential on Clay. Clay was a slaveowner, and was quoted as saying "I am no friend to slavery. I think it an evil; but I believe it better that slaves should remain slaves than to be set loose as free men among us. "

He was also a womanizer and a frequent gambler. He took advantage of the spoils system, by asking Zachary Taylor for a diplomatic appointment for his son. He dreamed up being the president, but always came up short. Also known to be a great orator along with Daniel Webster.

This book is short and gives a relatively good overview of his life and some of the politics of the day.

[AZ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, but felt long winded at times. I felt it was a fair look, in it's day of 1958, on Henry Clay. I learned a few new things about the man, his legacy and his effects that rippled from his tenure as Secretary of State. I'd say I came out with a better look into the mind and character of "The Sage of Ashland", as the book refers him as a few times. If you can find it cheap, and aren't particularly knowledgeable about this old American politician, I'd recommend it. If you want a deeper look I'd suggest some newer and more expansive tomes.

[Belle Meade School]

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