by Kevin Katz

Created on: February 09, 2007   Last Updated: May 08, 2007

One of the most overlooked causes of the Civil War was the lack of respect for the great mind of Henry Clay and the choice not to elect him President.

Henry Clay, like the Buffalo Bills was at the doorstep of greatness several times, and each time the result was undesirable. Henry Clay ran for president on 5 separate occasions. He won his party's nomination several times making to the 'big dance' only to be outdone by another party's candidate.

Though he never officially led our country, Henry Clay did great things representing Kentucky in both the House and Senate. Clay was known as The Great Compromiser, because of success brokering the issue of slavery several times.

First, was the Compromise of 1820, more commonly referred to as the Missouri Compromise. At this time, the balane between Free and Slave states was even at eleven a piece. Missouri wanted to come in as a free state, but the northern statesmen weren't going to have it. In a nutshell, the Missouri Compromise brought in Maine as a free state and Missouri as a slave state, maintaining the balance in the Senate. Additionally, slavery was now forbidden north of the 36-30 latitude line, which is essentially the northern border of Arkansas.

This negotiation staved off the inevitable Civil War for the time being.

Thirty years later, Clay would be called on again, this time coerced out of a short retirement to debate the issue of slavery once more. A similar situation had occurred. Senate wanted to keep the balance of Slave vs. Free state, but wasn't sure what to do with the newly acquired land which came as a result of the Mexican
American War. The Compromise of 1850 was born. This plan allowed slavery in the New Mexico and Utah territories while admitting California to the Union as a free state. It also included a new Fugitive Slave Act and banned the slave trade (but not slavery itself) in the District of Columbia. Many thought the banning of the slave trade in DC would lead others to follow suit. Banning the slave trade, and not slavery itself would allow the current slave owners to continue using slaves, but leaving them to rely on their current slaves' offspring to carry on the work.

The Compromise of 1850, again, helped to delay the Civil War for an additional eleven years.

Obviously, Henry Clay has some influence in the political arena and was highly respected. If her were alive today, might he be a moderate democrat, willing to cross party lines to get things done?

He was forward thinking enough to start

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