Early Years.

Henry Clay was born in April 1777 in Henrico County, Virginia. The seventh of eight children, his parents John and Elizabeth had ties to the earliest settlers but were of modest means. Henry's father died when he was four, and his only formal education took place in a local log school. Fortunately, Clay's mother married a kind man who took an interest in Clay's future. After working briefly as a court clerk, Clay began to study law with Virginia's attorney general, Robert Brooke. He was licensed within a year and moved to Lexington, Kentucky. He became the city's most successful criminal defense attorney. In 1799 he married Lucretia Hart, and the two had eleven children. He outlived six daughters and one son.

Politician.

Clay was politicized by the Alien and Sedition Acts and firmly supported the Kentucky Resolutions. He served in...