Charismatic, wonderful, and one of the best orators of his era, Henry Clay seemed to have it every. He offered a thorough plan of transformation for America, and he directed national affairs as Speaker of the House, as Secretary of State to John Quincy Adams-the man he put in office-and as acknowledged leader of the Whig party. As the broker from the Missouri Bargain and the Bargain of 1850, Henry Clay fought to keep a young country united when westward expansion and slavery threatened to rip it about Henry Clay: THE PERSON Who Would End up being President apart. However, despite his talent and achievements, Henry Clay by no means became president. Three times he received Electoral College votes, twice even more he sought his party’s nomination, however every time he was defeated. Alongside fellow senatorial greats Daniel Webster and John C. Calhoun, Clay was in the mix nearly every minute from 1824 to 1848. Given his prominence, perhaps the years should be termed not the Jacksonian Period but rather the Age of Clay.

Adam C. Klotter uses fresh research and offers a more focused, nuanced explanation of Clay’s programs and politics in order to answer fully the question of why the person they called ‘The Great Rejected’ never received the presidency but did win the accolades of history.