Book Description
This is a biography of a great American statesman and U.S. Senator of the nineteenth century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Henry Clay: The greatest of his era
Of all the biographies of early American figures, I rather like Henry Clay best. He boasted a lengthier political career than Washington, Adams, Hamilton, Jackson etc. Of his rivals in the Senate, neither Daniel Webster nor John C. Calhoun were as effective in meeting the great challenges of his time: the BUS, the various Tariffs and territorial expansion. As a former debater, it is truly depressing that we have no audio to record his momentous speeches--those rarities which permanently altered the course of history.. Lincoln, Madison, Van Buren and virtually everyone else he met (save Andrew Jackson) admired his many abilities.

Robert Remini is a biographer in the classical sense, the emphasis is heavy on the political, and far lighter on the more personal/psychological aspect of Clay's character. We are told he was a ladies' man, party-goer and gambler, but of these habits there is precious little detail despite almost 800 pages of work. Remini favors the younger Clay, House Speaker and leader of the National Republicans over the elder statesman and undisputed champion of the Whig Party. Perhaps 3 failed presidential elections took away his luster not only for the American public, but the biographer himself. After reading Clay, I will now give 'equal time' to Jackson, likely from a more contemporary biographer.

Twice was Nice
I have read this book two times, because it was very interesting to me to learn about one of America's finest statesmen. Robert V. Remini is a favorite author of mine. Ialso liked

Daniel Webster: The Man and His Time

Andrew Jackson 3 Volumes The Course of the American Empire 1767-1821, The Course of the American Freedom 1822-1832, The Course of the American Democracy 1833-1845

An interesting account
This important chapter of American history is usually analyzed as the period of the 'Great Triumvirate' of Clay, Calhoun and Wesbter, three failed politicians who never achieved the highest office.Nevertheless Clay was one of the most important men of his period, when the Whigs vied with the Democrats for control of the nation.He was first elected to the house in 1811 and helped forge Jacksonian populist democracy as well as preside over the compromises stemming from slavery and ensuring that America was a vibrant democracy.

An interesting read, fair, and decent and well written.

Seth J. Frantzman

One of the Best Books on Henry Clay
This is certainly the best of Dr.Remini's books to date.It is an honest appraisal of the man as a human being with human weakness and a great patriot and statesman.Remini had the opportunity to use the "Works of Henry Clay in the writing of this book and the expert researching of the character.

We see Clay as John Q. Adams saw him, as the members of the House of Representatives as he reached his goal of Speaker, we sympathize with the grief stricken father of the boy who died in the Mexican War and how it affected Clay's politics.We share Clay's emotions as his different bids for the Presidential nominations are lost.As we are exposed to the genius and frailties of character of this stateman we see him through the eyes of his contemporaries and they show themselves through him.

This is a marvelous story well told.I would recommend it to every person interested in 19th century America.

A delightful read!
This was a pleasure to read at almost 800 pages of text! Mr Remini made it all come alive and I feel as if I truly knew Clay and Calhoun, Webster, Benton, Van Buren, Buchanan, etc. I plan to read more Mr Remini'sbooks in the future. ... Read more

Book Description
On September 13, 1804, Henry Clay entered into an agreement to purchase 125 acres on Todd’s Road just outside the city limits of Lexington, Kentucky. With this transaction, Clay began the creation of one of Lexington’s most important sites. Over the next two centuries, Ashland would be home to five generations of one of Kentucky’s first families. Ashland would also be the source of some of Kentucky’s finest horses; the location of a small but important Civil War skirmish; the birthplace of the state’s flagship university; the home to one of the state’s first museums; one of Lexington’s first subdivisions; and finally a National Historic Landmark. Many books have been written about Henry Clay, Ashland’s creator and most important resident, but this is the first to tell the story of his beloved farm and personal retreat. ... Read more

Book Description
Henry Clay devoted his life and work to strengthening the United States. In his time he was an economist and a passionate believer in compromise. For Clay, the Union was the key to his heart . Young students will love reading about this important figure in America's history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A juvenile biography of Henry Clay, the Great Compromiser
Henry Clay is considered one of the greatest U.S. senators ever and along with John C. Calhoun and Daniel Webster made up the great triumvirate that had their last great battle in debating the Compromise of 1850.Clay also served as Speaker of the House of Representatives and ran for president several times as a Whig (he lost all those times, of course, but seeing as how both of the Whig candidates who won the White House died in office, that was not necessarily a bad thing).This juvenile biography of "Henry Clay: The Great Compromiser," part of the Our People series, explains to young readers while Clay is remembered for his political service at a time when American was developing as a nation.Clay is best known for promoting what he called the "American System," an argument for the United States government creating a strong national economy.Known as the Great Compromiser, Clay is identified with a political principle that historian Shelby Foote identifies as being the quality that best represents American genius.

As is the well established pattern with this books, Michael Burgan looks at Clay's life in four chapters: (1) Young Lawyer and Politician explains how Clay's family settled in Kentucky, where his first forays into politics say him actually finish out the term of a U.S. Senator; (2) Leader of the House tells how Clay finish rose to national prominence when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and became Speaker of the House by the end of the War of 1812; (3) Presidential Politics covers Clay's failed attempts to become President; and (4) Last Years in Washington focuses on his pivotal role in the Great Compromise of 1850, which put off the Civil War for another decade.Burgan does a god job of highlighting the principles and policies Clay supported that are now part of the government today, although those points could easily get lost just in detailing Clay's political resume.

This volume is illustrated with historic paintings and prints on almost every page, but the strength of the book is the presentation of information.There are informative sidebars on key subjects such as The First Parties and The War of 1812, and the margins are filled with Interesting Facts, like how Clay studied law with the same famous lawyer who taught Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe.The back of the book includes a Time Line of Clay's life, Glossary Terms from "abolitionists" to "investors," assorted sources For Further Information, and an Index.Having told the story of the influential senator of the West, the Our People series needs to turn to Calhoun of the South and Webster of the East. assorted sources For Further Information, and an Index. ... Read more

Book Description
Enormously powerful, intensely ambitious, the very personifications of their respective regions--Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, and John C. Calhoun represented the foremost statemen of their age.In the decades preceding the Civil War, they dominated American congressional politics as no other figures have. Now Merrill D. Peterson, one of our most gifted historians, brilliantly re-creates the lives and times of these great men in this monumental collective biography. Arriving on the national scene at the onset of the War of 1812 and departing political life during the ordeal of the Union in 1850-52, Webster, Clay, and Calhoun opened--and closed--a new era in American politics.In outlook and style, they represented startling contrasts:Webster, the Federalist and staunch New England defender of the Union; Clay, the "war hawk" and National Rebublican leader from the West; Calhoun, the youthful nationalist who became the foremost spokesman of the South and slavery. They came together in the Senate for the first time in 1832, united in their opposition of Andrew Jackson, and thus gave birth to the idea of the "Great Triumvirate."Entering the history books, this idea survived the test of time because these men divided so much of American politics between them for so long.Peterson brings to life the great events in which the Triumvirate figured so prominently, including the debates on Clay's American System, the Missouri Compromise, the Webster-Hayne debate, the Bank War, the Webster-Ashburton Treaty, the annexation of Texas, and the Compromise of 1850. At once a sweeping narrative and a penetrating study of non-presidential leadership, this book offers an indelible picture of this conservative era in which statesmen viewed the preservation of the legacy of free government inherited from the Founding Fathers as their principal mission.In fascinating detail, Peterson demonstrates how precisely Webster, Clay, and Calhoun exemplify three facets of this national mind. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Calhoun, Clay and Webster: The Triumvirate Standing Athwart Jackson
~The Great Triumvirate: Webster, Clay, and Calhoun~ is a powerful biography, of not one but three prominent U.S. Senators. Henry Clay (1777-1852) of Kentucky, John C. Calhoun (1782-1850) of South Carolina who was also the 7th Vice President, and Daniel Webster (1782-1852) of Massachusetts. As a result of their mutual antagonisms, they became known to historians as the Great Triumvirate. Clay, a consummate "warhawk," stood out for his achievements at spearheading legislation, assembling sponsors, and garnering compromises. Calhoun once a youthful nationalist, stood out for his steadfast stance in favor of states' rights and his acute logical sense. Webster was renowned as the vivacious orator who spoke stirring speeches of nationalist sentiment.

All of these men greatly influenced their era. The author Merill Peterson brings to life the great contests and debates of their time. The Triumvirate figured prominently in those debates whether it was the feud over the American system, the nature of the Union, or the Missouri Compromise dealing with slavery, their influence could be seen and heard. All of their tense contests in the U.S. Senate were in the backdrop of the Jacksonian era, which was a time of bombastic oratory in Congress and tense passion for democracy and the common man felt in the American heartland. All of these men in the Triumvirate fancied themselves as champions of the people no doubt.

The great controversies of the time were animated by the respective positions of Calhoun, Clay and Webster. Issues over internal improvements, tariffs, slavery, and the destiny of the burgeoning American empire figured prominently in the political discourse of the triumvirate. All of these men saw themselves as great statesmen and men of principle. Both Clay and Webster were in the hip-pocket of the Second Bank of the United States, which was sorely detested by Andrew Jackson who decried it as a "monster." Clay was once a Jeffersonian states' rights champion, but frequently oscillated back and forth as a National Republican in favor of federally-sponsored internal improvements. Webster's hypocrisy is manifest in his days before the Hartford Convention and his 1850 Capon Springs speech, where he essentially affirmed that the adherents of the compact view of the Union were right.

Jackson stampeded Clay's legislative agenda. Subsequently, Clay's feuding with Jackson compelled him to advocate abolition of the Presidential veto power. Calhoun's solicitude for the Constitution compelled him to defend the veto power all the same. Both Clay and Calhoun were detested by Jackson, and the mutual antagonisms seethed beneath the surface amidst the battles over tariff policy and nullification.

Calhoun was said by Randolph to speak in "axioms" when the logic of his thought was much admired and praised. Calhoun spent his twilight years in the wake of the nullification controversy writing what he hoped would be his most enduring contribution to American political science, the Disquisition and the Discourse, which was the definitive defense of the Jeffersonian states' rights interpretation of the Constitution.

All things considered, this is a masterful look at antebellum America during the height of the Jacksonian era. Merrill Peterson has put together a wonderful book. Another great author on the antebellum era is a scholar from the University of Virginia Michael Holt. The Jacksonian era was a time of great controversy in America, and marked the rise of the machine-ridden politics following Van Buren's ascendancy. It was arguably more democratic, but prone to more demagoguery, so there were certainly trade-offs. In the good old days, prominent U.S. Senators keyed more prominently in the history of the Republic than did some Presidents. Of the Great Triumvirate -- Calhoun, Clay and Webster -- their names were heard on the lips of school teachers by children throughout the land.

Great Scholarship and a wonderful story
The Great Triumvirate paints a rich picture of the political life in the early 1800's.The lives of Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun and Daniel Webster would shape the course of politics during the first half of the 1800's.These men would pick up where the founding fathers left off and define what it would mean to be American. They represented their sections of the countries but each would bow to the political realties of the time. In the end they were so good at representing their sections that their efforts to achieve the presidency would be met with failure.Henry Clay "the great compromiser" was a tyrant of the Senate and his political domination was impressive in preventing an outbreak of the civil war. While from the South Calhoun was an astute political observer who worked to preserve the institution of slavery.Daniel Webster as the fiery orator from the North was the consummate constitutionalist who the abolitionists hoped to have on their side. These three would "rule" the United States through their congressional domination like the triumvirates of Rome.The interaction between the three was not as great as I expected and more often than not they were working at cross purposes.The political pandering that grows out of this time period (especially with regard to Calhoun) sets the stage for the political discourse that we see emerging in the United States today.The election of 1848 painted here bears remarkable parallels to the 2008 presidential election that is shaping up.For those who want an understanding of our political history this is an essential book to read.These three men defined the next evolution in American government and this is the best book to show how they worked against and with each other to achieve the union.

Masterful history through the lives of 3 great men
Peterson tells the history of early American politics through the intertwined lives of Clay, Webster, and Calhoun.He highlights several major trends in the country, illustrated by these politicians--the increasing opportunity for non-elites to rise to prominence in national politics, the change of the burning issue of the day from the tariff to slavery, and the increasing discipline and organization of political parties.

The story is compelling as he tells the lives of these men and their continued interactions in crisp prose that is guaranteed to improve your vocabulary.His descriptions of the personalities, portraiture, and oratorical styles of the men are fascinating.

One question looms over the tale--if these were the three of the four most powerful politicians between Jefferson and Lincoln (Jackson would be the fourth), why did none of them get elected president?Peterson answers the question by referring to their individual characters and to their public perceptions.His last chapter and epilogue also contain an insightful discussion of the impact of each of the men on the looming Civil War and history's vindication or indictment of each for their roles (or lack thereof) in contributing to it.

This book is not an easy read, which is why I would have given this book a 4 1/2, if possible (yes, I'm stingy with 5's).Another possible drawback is the limited discussion of the formation of the Whig party, in which all three played at least something of a role.

The big three in antebellum America
In the first half of the 19th century, American politics was dominated by the Congress, with only one really strong president (Andrew Jackson) in the era between Jefferson and Lincoln.Perhaps the largest figures in this period were the so-called "Great Triumvirate" of Henry Clay, Daniel Webster and John Calhoun.Serving in both houses of Congress, various presidential cabinets and (in Calhoun's case), the Vice Presidency, these three were the architects of the era.Only the Presidency itself would elude their ambitions.

All three were born at roughly the same time, entered Congress around the same time and died within a couple years of each other.They represented the three regions of antebellum America: Webster was in the North, Clay the West and Calhoun the South.They were often at odds with each other, even when they were in agreement on a subject.

Webster was probably the least significant of the three.Known for his oratory and intellect, he led primarily by example.His constant financial problems put him in some ethically dubious situations.Calhoun was renowned for his integrity but - although he never lived to see it - provided a lot of the theoretical basis for the secession movement that eventually resulted in the Civil War.Clay was probably the most blatantly ambitious of the three, but also the best deal-maker.Among his many accomplishments (often shared with others) were the Treaty of Ghent, the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850.Some of these may have be problematic to modern eyes, but these Compromises helped delay the Civil War.Although this may have not been Clay's design, the delay allowed the North to develop enough resources to win the war, which may have not been possible a decade earlier.

This book actually serves as three parallel biographies that occasionally intertwine.While generally interesting and informative, it is also a somewhat ponderous read.In addition, while the book does a good job at looking at the three as individuals, it is sometimes lacking in describing them as a trio.For better works about this era and its participants, I recommend Robert Remini, who has written biographies of Clay and Webster along with Andrew Jackson.Despite the flaws in this work, it is still at least a solid four stars for the information it does present, so you can't go too wrong reading it if the subject matter interests you.

Great is Great
Peterson has to be the top historian in Early American Republic history and this book proves it.You would not think that one book on these three giants could do them justice, but this one does it magnificently.Peterson incorporates the lives and careers of these three men to illustrate the plights and problems of Early America, issues that were facing the nation, the factionalism which shaped the way the issues were tackle, and the manner in which disputes in policy matters had to be resolved.During this time span in American history, you could read the biographies of four individuals and have a good understanding of what happened during that time span and these are three of them, with John Quincy Adams being the 4th. ... Read more

Book Description
Kimberly Shankman has written the first full-length study of the political thought of early American statesman Henry Clay. In "Compromise and the Constitution," Shankman seeks to understand Clay's approach to republican statesmanship by carefully considering the context in which he developed and articulated his programs and policy prescriptions. Because Clay was policy-oriented and very seldom addressed politics from a theoretical perspective, there has been a tendency to dismiss him as motivated primarily, if not exclusively, by expedience and ambition. Shankman demonstrates, however, that Clay's reticence about first principles was in fact an integral part of his conception of an appropriate republican politics: one based on prudence, interest, and compromise rather than on principle, passion, and adamancy. This book is crucial reading for scholars of American history, early American political thought, and the Constitution. ... Read more