Pipe Depicting Henry Clay

Clay, Henry

Henry Clay was among the most influential politicians in American history, although he never won the office of the presidency, despite four attempts. His vision of an American nation, united by federally-supported infrastructure projects and capable of cooperation across sections, won him the nickname “The Great Compromiser.” Like Harrison and Jackson, Clay’s supporters emblazoned his face on a variety of objects, bringing his political campaign into intimate contact with ordinary Americans. At a time when Americans were widely seen as a constant tobacco smokers and chewers, a Clay pipe provided a fitting image. Unfortunately for Clay, a Whig, the Democratic challenger James K. Polk defeated him in 1844