 |
 Henry Clay
served in both houses of Congress, and was the
second-longest-serving Speaker of the House in
U.S. history, being elected to that position a
total of six times. After supporting the War of
1812 he helped negotiate the treaty that ended
that war, and it was he who authored the second
Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850. |
 An
Overview of Martin Van Buren's Life and Career
Martin Van Buren's opponents
accused him of being a sly scheming politician.
They called him "The Little Magician"
and "The Fox of Kinderhook," and
ridiculed his courteous manners. When Van Buren
continued to deal politely with his political
rivals, they said this showed his lack of deep
convictions. |
 The
Missouri
Compromise of 1820 was
actually two compromises in one, both of them
arising out of Missouri's request for statehood.
Passed on March 3, 1820, it proposed that Maine
be admitted as a free state, thus balancing the
admission of Missouri as a slave state. |
 William
Harris Crawford served in the U.S.
Senate, as Secretary of War, and as Secretary of
the Treasury. He was a presidential candidate in
1816 and 1824, with the latter election having to
be decided by the U.S. House of Representatives. |
 The
Star-Spangled Banner was
inspired by the sight of the American flag being
raised over Fort McHenry on the morning of
September 14, 1814, after a 25-hour bombardment
from a British fleet. It was designated the
national anthem of the United States on March 3,
1931. |
 John
Quincy Adams: A Chronology of His Life and Career
Before entering the presidency, Adams held
several important diplomatic posts. He took part
in the negotiations that ended the War of 1812,
and as Secretary of State he helped develop the
Monroe Doctrine. |
