Henry Clay letter to Joshua R. Giddings, Falls of Niagara : autograph manuscript signed,
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Henry Clay letter to Joshua R. Giddings, Falls of Niagara : autograph manuscript signed,
- Date
- 1839 July 13
- Creator
- Clay, Henry, 1777-1852
- Extent
- 0.01 Cubic feet
- Subjects
- United States--Description and travel.
- Preferred Citation
- 2011MS005 : [identification of item], Henry Clay letter to Joshua R. Giddings, Falls of Niagara : autograph manuscript signed, 1839 July 13, University of Kentucky Special Collections.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Born in Virginia, Clay studied law before moving to Lexington, Kentucky in 1797. In Kentucky, Clay became a prominent spokesman for the West. He was a member (1803-1806) and Speaker (1807-1810) of the Kentucky legislature and represented Kentucky as a United States Senator (1806-1807, 1810-1811, 1831-1842, and 1849-1852) and as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1811-1814, 1815-1821, and 1823-1824). During all but one of his years of service in the House of Representatives, he served as Speaker. Clay also became John Quincy Adams' Secretary of State (1825-1829) after an unsuccessful campaign for the Presidency (1824) as the Whig Party candidate. His efforts to avoid dissolution of the Union over the slavery issue included the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and the Compromise of 1850.
- Scope and Content
- Clay discusses his travels through the Great Lakes and Canada and briefly mentions his chief rival, William Henry Harrison, in the upcoming 1840 presidential election.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections.
Special Collections Research Center - Closed
The Breckinridge Research Room will be closed starting May 11, 2026, and anticipates re-opening Fall semester 2026 in an alternate location for the duration of the King Library renovation.
Reproduction requests will still be available during the closure.
Contact SCRC with questions.
Table of Contents
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If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
Special Collections Research Center - Closed
The Breckinridge Research Room will be closed starting May 11, 2026, and anticipates re-opening Fall semester 2026 in an alternate location for the duration of the King Library renovation.
Reproduction requests will still be available during the closure.
Contact SCRC with questions.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
