Presidency of Henry Clay

The presidency of Henry Clay began on March 4, 1849, when Henry Clay was inaugurated as President of the United States, and ended on March 4, 1853. Clay, a Federalist from Kentucky, took office as the 14th United States president after defeating incumbent President John Adams Dix in the 1848 Presidential Election. Clay left office after one single term, due to the health problems which plagued him during most of his presidency. A long time supporter of strong government, his presidency reflected to the ideals of Economic nationalism and Classical conservatism.

The central issue facing President Clay was the Panic of 1849, an economic downturn that began just months into his presidency.

Following his many health issues, he did not run for re-election, with the Federalist nomination going to Daniel Webster and eventually Clay's archrival former President Winfield Scott. Clay's Presidency is widely seen as a failure in modern day among historians, with Clay himself being mostly forgotten among the list of U.S. Presidents. He is generally ranked as a mediocre to poor president in American history.

Campaign
Clay and his supporters focused on his nearly 50 years of public service and focus on his experience. On policy they focused on their support for internal improvements, particularly a national road system and renovations to the national university system; on civil rights/slavery, Clay supported the gradual abolition amendment but was a slave owner & supports colonization of freed slaves, opposing equality for freed slaves and supporting Dix's fugitive slave act, whereas running mate Dayton more strongly opposed slavery and supported civil rights more than anyone else on any of the tickets, opposing a fugitive slave act. Clay opposed Dix's suspension of habeas corpus in areas of the South to fight the KGC. Despite abolitionist Federalists disliking Clay, many remained loyal to the party due to Clay’s age, assuming he would die & Dayton would end up becoming President.

Result
After 6 presidential runs & a near half-century in politics, Henry Clay was able to narrowly win the presidency, denying John A. Dix a full term as the issue of slavery allowed the States’ Rights Party to make a resurgence. Clay won 150 electoral votes, just barely carrying him to victory, as Dix won 88 electoral votes, with Taylor winning 52. The Federalist Party won pluralities in both houses of Congress, allowing Clay to have a chance to push through his planned legislation.

Administration
The Clay administration was filled to the brim with many notable faces of American classical conservatism. Clay appointed former Vice President under Winfield Scott, Edward Bates to the position of Secretary of State; Rufus Choate to the position of Secretary of the Treasury, eventually being replaced with Edward Everett of Massachusetts after his appointment to head the National Bank; Tennessee Senator and former Democratic-Republican John Bell to the position of Secretary of War; Reverdy Johnson to the position of Attorney General; John M. Clayton to the position of Postmaster General; Millard Fillmore to the position of Secretary of the Navy; and finally Abraham Lincoln, a lawyer and former member of the House of Representatives to the position of Secretary of the Interior.

Clay got along with his cabinet well, with only Choate leaving the cabinet to be appointed to head the National Bank. However, Clay was frequently too weak to attend cabinet meetings after 1850, as he would cling onto life and the presidency throughout his tumultuous term. No party neared a majority in the least in congress through Clay's entire congressional tenure, with many attributing Clay's superb legislative skills as being the sole reason he was able to do anything.

Judicial appointments
Clay never appointed anyone to the court during the entirety of four year Presidency.

Economics
After 12 years of an economic boom, the economy was badly damaged by the Panic of 1849. Unemployment has reached the highest rates in history and thousands on the East Coast have joined the rush west which was once considered a gold rush, seeking a new life after their economic stability was crushed. The discovery of gold in California & the Oregon Territory had encouraged this immigration. This deeply hurt Clay's administration, though his allies argued that he could not be blamed for it.

The debate over the National Bank, to be up for recharter in 1859, had reached a new high. Proponents of the bank criticized Bank President George M. Dallas, a Democratic-Republican appointed to head the bank in a bipartisan gesture, of not doing enough or anything at all to handle the recession. Meanwhile, opponents of the bank accused Dallas's minor actions and the bank itself of being the reason for the economic crash. In 1850 a mob, many of whom saw their lives ruined by the economic crash, stormed the National Bank building and attempted to light it on fire after they captured and lynched Bank President George Dallas. The building was largely saved beyond some fire damage and Dallas was cut down from the noose prior to his death, but he was unable to continue and Clay appointed Rufus Choate to succeed him.

Clay passed the Choate Tariff with the support of like minded Federalists in Congress, named for his Secretary of the Treasury, in 1849 as a means to alleviate the depression, arguing that protecting industry and funding public works was the best way to assuage the panic. The Choate Tariff set the average tariff rate at 62%, a vast increase from the 37% of the Hamlin Tariff that preceded it.

Using the funds from the Choate Tariff, Clay signed a bill establishing a new national road system, with a focus in the West, to connect the capitals and largest cities of every state and territory; funds had also been provided to every state to expand their canal system. Clay opposed and blocked attempts at a transcontinental railroad, instead advocating for transportation by canal.

Western U.S.
Clay signed a bill allowing Western settlers to buy up to 150 acres of land at $1 per acre, with the funds going to internal improvements.

The debate over statehood for the Western territories consumed much of 1850, with Clay advocating for allowing further development in some Western territories prior to admitting them as states. The regions set aside for freed slaves (Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Vegas), Oregon, Washington, and the other Western territories thus remained as territories for the time remaining and have not been granted statehood. In keeping with his promise, Clay had also directed additional funds to build infrastructure in them.

Vancouver, California, & Tijuana were granted statehood.

Other issues
Clay advocated for the repeal of the Immigration Act of 1845, which opened the borders to immigrants, but the repeal was defeated when William Seward led a coalition of pro-immigration Federalists to block it in the senate.

He also signed a bill ordering the renovation and expansion of America's national university system and national observatory.

Hollow Earth
Once laughed off, the Hollow Earth Expedition of Richard M. Johnson returned in 1850. They reported reaching the edge of the North Pole prior to being forced by weather and lack of supplies to return, and received the support of congress with Senator William Seward (F-NY) leading their clique of support. Clay was able to intervene and narrowly prevent the resending of the expedition.

Africa
Clay, a long time advocate of and leader within the American Colonization Society, released a plan to move freed slaves voluntarily to Africa, specifically the American protectorate in Liberia. Although he keeps the promises of President Johnson to set aside territories in the West for freed slaves who served in the army, he encourages movement to Africa instead but is largely unsuccessful.

Latin America
Clay extended U.S. recognition to Haiti for the first time in history, with prior Presidents refusing to recognize it due to its establishment in a slave revolt.

The Bates-Bulwer Treaty made clear the rights of Britain and the U.S. in Latin America was signed, with Clay heralding the building of a Nicaraguan Canal in the near future.

Trade treaties with Honduras and El Salvador were also signed.

Other
Clay made a positive speech about but refused to recognize Lajos Kossuth's Hungarian revolutionary government in 1849, arguing that it was not America's place to entangle itself in European wars.

Pro-slavery expeditioneers with the support of the KGC led by filibusterer Narsisco Lopez and former Confederate commander Jubal Early attempted to lead an expedition to conquer Cuba and form a nation based on slavery, Clay declared the plot treasonous and dispatched ships to intervene, arresting Early and Lopez after a brief battle.