The movers and shakers of american history - Essay Example

In the politician’s role he had ensured long-term significance in the history of his nation. Henry Clay was a nineteenth century American politician and lawyer who was born in the year 1977. He is known in American history as a man with contradictory views. He was a devoted supporter of the Jeffersonian Republic Party, and during a major phase of his career he had focused on advocating Hamiltonian plan of economic development which he termed as the “American System”. The executive office had however always eluded him which is evident from the fact that he had fought for the post of American President four times in his lifetime and has inevitably always failed.

As a politician, it has been assumed that he was guided mainly by lofty ambitions and envious nature. Although this gives a picture of an unprincipled political figure, he was nevertheless revered by most of his contemporaries. After studying the life of Henry Clay, it can be concluded that he had more political than economic impact on America. The restructuring of the industrial sector in America as the result of the American System introduced by Henry Clay contributed towards the country’s achievement of economic freedom from the British in 1825.

In the early part of 19th century, there were severe conflicts between farm owners and industrial regions in America. Industrial sector was under extreme pressure from foreign competitors. In 1816, Clay introduced the “American System” that focused on “protective and selective tariffs for the good of the nation” (Skrabec, 13). He strongly advocated the role of capitalism on America’s destiny. Clay’s economic values were highly revered in Pennsylvania especially by German-American families in the coal regions.

Clay’s American System was capitalism purely beneficial to the American economic system. Henry Clay believed that only a genuine democratic system can guarantee long-term success of