who was henry clay?

Henry Clay (1777–1852) was a prominent American lawyer and statesman from Kentucky who served multiple terms in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. He was Speaker of the House and Secretary of State under President John Quincy Adams. Clay was known as "The Great Compromiser" for his skill in brokering important legislative compromises, such as the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and the Compromise of 1850, which temporarily eased tensions over slavery and sectional conflict in the U.S. He ran unsuccessfully for president several times and was a founder of both the National Republican Party and the Whig Party. Clay was an influential leader in early 19th-century American politics, known for his efforts to maintain national unity and promote economic development through his "American System" of federal infrastructure investment, a national bank, and protective tariffs.