This is a bibliography of works about and principle works by Henry Clay.
Henry Clay (April 12, 1777June 29, 1852) was an American lawyer, statesman, and diplomat who represented Kentucky in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He was the seventh House speaker as well as the ninth secretary of state. Clay unsuccessfully ran for president in the 1824, 1832, and 1844 elections. He helped found both the National Republican Party and the Whig Party. For his role in defusing sectional crises, he earned the appellation of the "Great Compromiser" and was part of the "Great Triumvirate" of Congressmen, alongside fellow Whig Daniel Webster and Democrat John C. Calhoun.
Works listed here are cited in the notes or bibliographies of scholarly sources. Each is published by an academic or major press, written by a recognized expert, or substantially reviewed in scholarly journals; borderline cases are omitted. A selection of primary sources are included. Many of the books below carry their own bibliographies; see the Further reading section for other bibliographies, and the External links section for historical sites, academic sites, and museums.
Citations follow APA style. Book have citations to academic journal or mainstream published reviews when available. For books only partly about the subject, relevant chapter or section titles are provided when useful and available. Translators of the original-language edition are included when possible. In cases where a title or name has appeared with more than one English spelling, the most recent published form is used and a footnote documents any earlier title under which the work appeared.
General works Baxter, M. G. (2000). Henry Clay the lawyer. University Press of Kentucky. Eaton, C. (1957). Henry Clay and the art of American politics. Little, Brown. Heidler, D. S., & Heidler, J. T. (2010). Henry Clay: The essential American. Random House. Klotter, J. C. (2012). Kentucky, the Civil War, and the spirit of Henry Clay. Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, 110(3–4), 243–263. Klotter, J. C. (2018). Henry Clay: The man who would be president. Oxford University Press. Knupfer, P. (1992). The return of Henry Clay. Reviews in American History, 20(3), 319. Mayo, B. (1937). Henry Clay: Spokesman of the New West. Houghton Mifflin. Peterson, M. D. (1987). The great triumvirate: Webster, Clay, and Calhoun. Oxford University Press. Remini, R. V. (1991). Henry Clay: Statesman for the Union. W. W. Norton. Unger, H. G. (2015). Henry Clay: America's greatest statesman. Da Capo Press. Watson, H. L. (1998). Andrew Jackson vs. Henry Clay: Democracy and development in antebellum America. Bedford/St. Martin's.
Topical works War of 1812 Hatzenbuehler, R. L. (1976). The war hawks and the question of congressional leadership in 1812. Pacific Historical Review, 45(1), 1–22. King, Q. S. (2014). Henry Clay and the War of 1812. McFarland. Risjord, N. K. (1961). 1812: Conservatives, war hawks, and the nation's honor. The William and Mary Quarterly, 18(2), 196.
Nullification and the Compromise of 1833 Ellis, R. E. (1987). The Union at risk: Jacksonian democracy, states' rights, and the nullification crisis. Oxford University Press. Peterson, M. D. (1982). Olive branch and sword: The Compromise of 1833. Louisiana State University Press.
Slavery and the Missouri Compromise Burin, E. (2005). Slavery and the peculiar solution: A history of the American Colonization Society. University Press of Florida. Earle, J. H. (2004). Jacksonian antislavery and the politics of free soil, 1824–1854. University of North Carolina Press. Mason, M. (2006). Slavery and politics in the early American republic. University of North Carolina Press. Staudenraus, P. J. (1961). The African colonization movement, 1816–1865. Columbia University Press. Tallant, H. D. (2003). Evil necessity: Slavery and political culture in antebellum Kentucky. University Press of Kentucky. Tomek, B. C. (2011). Colonization and its discontents: Emancipation, emigration, and antislavery in antebellum Pennsylvania. New York University Press.
Missouri Compromise Forbes, R. P. (2007). The Missouri Compromise and its aftermath: Slavery and the meaning of America. University of North Carolina Press. Moore, G. (1953). The Missouri controversy, 1819–1821. University of Kentucky Press.
The Compromise of 1850 Bearss, S. B. (1987). Henry Clay and the American claims against Portugal, 1850. Journal of the Early Republic, 7(2), 167. Bordewich, F. M. (2012). America's great debate: Henry Clay, Stephen A. Douglas, and the compromise that preserved the Union. Simon & Schuster. Freehling, W. W. (1990). The road to disunion: Vol. 1. Secessionists at bay, 1776–1854. Oxford University Press. Hamilton, H. (1954). Democratic Senate leadership and the Compromise of 1850. The Mississippi Valley Historical Review, 41(3), 403. Hamilton, H. (1957). "The cave of the winds" and the Compromise of 1850. The Journal of Southern History, 23(3), 331. Hamilton, H. (1964). Prologue to conflict: The crisis and compromise of 1850. University of Kentucky Press. Jasinski, J. (1995). The forms and limits of prudence in Henry Clay's (1850) defense of the compromise measures. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 81(4), 454–478. Knupfer, P. B. (1991). The Union as it is: Constitutional unionism and sectional compromise, 1787–1861. University of North Carolina Press. Paulus, S. B. (2014). America's long eulogy for compromise: Henry Clay and American politics, 1854–58. The Journal of the Civil War Era, 4(1), 28–52. Potter, D. M. (1976). The impending crisis, 1848–1861 (completed and edited by D. E. Fehrenbacher). Harper & Row. Remini, R. V. (2010). At the edge of the precipice: Henry Clay and the compromise that saved the Union. Basic Books. Russel, R. R. (1956). What was the Compromise of 1850? The Journal of Southern History, 22(3), 292. Stegmaier, M. J. (1996). Texas, New Mexico, and the Compromise of 1850: Boundary dispute and sectional crisis. Kent State University Press. Varon, E. R. (2008). Disunion! The coming of the American Civil War, 1789–1859. University of North Carolina Press.
Miscellaneous Apple, L. (2011). The family legacy of Henry Clay: In the shadow of a Kentucky patriarch. University Press of Kentucky. Brooks, E. (2024). Reframing history: Evolving perspectives on representation at Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate. Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, 122(2), 205–226. Portteus, K. J. (2020). "My beau ideal of a statesman": Abraham Lincoln's eulogy on Henry Clay. Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association, 41(2), 1–24. Runyon, R. (2018). The Mentelles: Mary Todd Lincoln, Henry Clay, and the immigrant family who educated antebellum Kentucky. University Press of Kentucky.
Older works Schurz, C. (1887). Life of Henry Clay (Vols. 1–2). Houghton Mifflin. Van Deusen, G. G. (1937). The life of Henry Clay. Little, Brown.
Further reading Henry Clay: A Resource Guide – Print Resources – Library of Congress Henry Clay: A Resource Guide – Library of Congress Henry Clay (1777–1852) – The Online Books Page, University of Pennsylvania Libraries Clay, Henry – Encyclopedia of American Federalism, Center for the Study of Federalism The Papers of Henry Clay – National Historical Publications and Records Commission, National Archives The Papers of Henry Clay, volumes 1–10 and supplement – UKnowledge, University of Kentucky Henry Clay manuscript collection – Special Collections and Archives, Transylvania University
Primary sources Clay, H. (1959). The papers of Henry Clay: Vol. 1. The rising statesman, 1797–1814 (J. F. Hopkins, Ed.). University of Kentucky Press. Clay, H. (1961). The papers of Henry Clay: Vol. 2. The rising statesman, 1815–1820 (J. F. Hopkins, Ed.). University of Kentucky Press. Clay, H. (1963). The papers of Henry Clay: Vol. 3. Presidential candidate, 1821–1824 (J. F. Hopkins, Ed.). University of Kentucky Press. Clay, H. (1972). The papers of Henry Clay: Vol. 4. Secretary of State, 1825 (J. F. Hopkins & M. W. M. Hargreaves, Eds.). University Press of Kentucky. Clay, H. (1973). The papers of Henry Clay: Vol. 5. Secretary of State, 1826 (J. F. Hopkins & M. W. M. Hargreaves, Eds.). University Press of Kentucky. Clay, H. (1981). The papers of Henry Clay: Vol. 6. Secretary of State, 1827 (M. W. M. Hargreaves & J. F. Hopkins, Eds.). University Press of Kentucky. Clay, H. (1982). The papers of Henry Clay: Vol. 7. Secretary of State, January 1, 1828 – March 4, 1829 (R. Seager II, Ed.). University Press of Kentucky. Clay, H. (1984). The papers of Henry Clay: Vol. 8. Candidate, compromiser, Whig, March 5, 1829 – December 31, 1836 (R. Seager II, Ed.). University Press of Kentucky. Clay, H. (1988). The papers of Henry Clay: Vol. 9. The Whig leader, January 1, 1837 – December 31, 1843 (R. Seager II, Ed.). University Press of Kentucky. Clay, H. (1991). The papers of Henry Clay: Vol. 10. Candidate, compromiser, elder statesman, January 1, 1844 – June 29, 1852 (M. P. Hay, Ed.). University Press of Kentucky. Clay, H. (1992). The papers of Henry Clay: Supplement, 1793–1852 (M. P. Hay, Ed.). University Press of Kentucky.
Major speeches and writings Clay, H. (1813). Speech delivered by the Hon. Henry Clay, in the House of Representatives Clay, H. (1825). To the people of the congressional district composed of the counties of Fayette, Woodford, and Clarke Clay, H. (1827a). An address of Henry Clay to the public Clay, H. (1827b). Mr. Clay's speech on the tariff Clay, H. (1827c). Speech of the Hon. Henry Clay, before the American Colonization Society Clay, H. (1827d). The speeches of Henry Clay, delivered in the Congress of the United States Clay, H. (1828). A supplement to the address of Henry Clay to the public Clay, H. (1832). Speech of Henry Clay, in defence of the American system Clay, H. (1834). Speech of the Hon. Henry Clay, on the subject of the removal of the deposites Clay, H. (1839). Speech of Mr. Clay, of Kentucky, on the subject of abolition petitions Clay, H. (1840). Speech of H. Clay, of Kentucky, on the bill commonly called the Sub-treasury Bill Clay, H. (1843). The life and speeches of the Hon. Henry Clay Clay, H. (1844). Letters of Messrs. Clay, Benton, and Barrow on the subject of the annexation of Texas Clay, H. (1847). Speech of Henry Clay, at the Lexington mass meeting, 13th November, 1847, together with the resolutions adopted on that occasion Clay, H. (1850a). Mr. Clay's speech to the General Assembly of Kentucky. A. G. Hodges. Clay, H. (1850b). Speech of Henry Clay, of Kentucky, on the report of the Committee of Thirteen Clay, H. (1850c). Speech of Mr. Clay, of Kentucky, in support of his propositions to compromise Clay, H. (1850d). Speech of the Hon. Henry Clay, of Kentucky, on taking up his compromise resolutions on the subject of slavery Clay, H. (1855). The private correspondence of Henry Clay (C. Colton, Ed.) Clay, H. (1904). The works of Henry Clay, comprising his life, correspondence and speeches (C. Colton, Ed.; Vols. 1–10) Library of Congress. (n.d.). A century of lawmaking for a new nation: U.S. congressional documents and debates 1774–1875 Online Books Page. (n.d.). Henry Clay (Clay, Henry, 1777–1852) U.S. Senate. (n.d.). Classic Senate speeches: Henry Clay, In defense of the American system, February 2, 3, and 6, 1832
References Notes
Citations
External links
Historic sites and monuments – Clay's home in Lexington, Kentucky, a National Historic Landmark operated as a house museum by the Henry Clay Memorial Foundation Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate at the National Trust for Historic Preservation Henry Clay's Law Office, Marker 139 – Kentucky Historical Society Historical Marker Database Henry Clay (1777–1852), Section M – burial and monument, The Lexington Cemetery, Lexington, Kentucky