Considered to be the most eloquent and influential legislators of their time, Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and John C. Calhoun shared the title of The Great Triumvirate. Starting with the War of 1812, Clay, Webster, and Calhoun each represented the ideals of a particular section of the nation. Their debates, therefore, were an embodiment of the fundamental political conflicts among regions of the Union during nineteenth century America. Despite their differences, each man's political achievement was matched by the others. Clay, Webster, and Calhoun all served in the House of Representative as well as the US Senate at some point in their lives. Although each person also served as secretary of state for a certain period, they all failed in their desires to become president. The climax of their career would be the series of debates at Capitol Hill leading up to the Compromise of 1850.
While born in Virginia, Henry Clay represented the state of Kentucky and spoke on behalf of the interests of the West. Clay was famous for his "legendary oratorical abilities," and his speeches in Congress never failed to attract spectators. He was elected into the US Senate at 29, and the US House of Representatives 5 years later. While in the House, Clay fully utilized his privileges as speaker of the house to appoint allies into key positions. Although Clay was part of the group of people who help incite the War of 1812, he soon realized the pointless nature of the war and later helped to negotiate the Treaty of Ghent to end the war. Of America, Clay believed that a better transportation system was key to economic success and advocated for the American System. Known as "The Great Compromiser," Clay was well known for his suggested compromises mainly regarding the issue of slavery, namely the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850.
Daniel Webster was someone who matched the oratory skills of Henry Clay. Known for his dark hair and "grim personality," Webster was an advocate for the industrialization of the North. Born in Salisbury, New Hampshire, Webster began his long political journey in Congress with his election into the House of Representatives in 1813. Because he was strongly opposed to the War of 1812, Webster frequently disagreed with Madison's policies. While temporary leaving Congress in 1816, Webster was able to display his talent by addressing many of the important cases of the US Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Marshall. In 1823, Webster rejoined the House of Representatives and was elected into the Senate in 1827. Although Webster lost to William Henry Harrison in the election of 1840, he was appointed by Harrison as secretary of state that same year.
Born in the state of South Carolina, John C. Calhoun was known for his consistent defense of the ideas of slavery, not just within the Union, but internationally as well. As early as 1810, Calhoun was elected into the US House of Representatives for his state. During James Madison's presidency, Calhoun was part of the War Hawks and helped initiate the War of 1812. Under James Monroe, Calhoun was appointed as secretary of war. Calhoun then proceeded to serve as vice president for both John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson, who were political rivals at the time. Calhoun was later responsible for triggering the Nullification Crisis, which he saw as necessary for the protection of South Carolina's sovereignty and economy, publicly expressing his idea of secession.
The finale of The Great Triumvirate arrived in the spring of 1850 when all three men spoke upon what is known today as the Compromise of 1850, sparked by the entrance of California as a free state into the Union. Clay and Webster delivered several famous speeches at Capitol Hill during this time, again attracting innumerable amounts of spectators. Calhoun, who was too ill to speak, had his words read by a stand-in. While Clay hoped to compromise, Calhoun saw that no compromise could be reached without sacrifices on either side and instead argued for secession once more. This then sparked arguably the most famous yet controversial speeches given during this time by Webster, known as the "Seventh of March Speech," in which he stated his goal to "preserve the Union."
Calhoun died shortly after his speech on the Compromise of 1850 was delivered. Henry Clay and Daniel Webster would die two years later, in 1852, marking an end to an era of "titans" in the US Senate.
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I really appreciate the way that you organized your blog post, because it was nice to see how the three of them worked together, then reading about the individuals and understand what they accomplished. It's evident that you did lots of research because of all of the dates as well as the level of detail. Were there any other famous duos and trios like the Great Triumvirate, that had a lot of influence over the Americans?
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