Henry Clay fugitive slave letter and broadside

Abstract

Henry Clay fugitive slave letter and broadside (dated 1817 October 14-18; 0.05 cubic feet; 2 items)consist of a letter and broadside written by Henry Clay concerning a fugitive slave named Isaac.

Descriptive Summary

Title: Henry Clay fugitive slave letter and broadside

Date: 1817 October 14-18 (inclusive)

Extent: 0.05 Cubic Feet

Subjects: Fugitive slaves -- United States.; Slavery -- United States.

Finding Aid Author: Megan Mummey

Preferred Citation: 63m115 : [identification of item], Henry Clay fugitive slave letter and broadside, 1817 October 14-18, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.

Repository: University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History: Congressman, politician, and senator Henry Clay was born on April 12, 1777, in Ashland, Virginia, to John Clay (1754-1781) and Elizabeth Hudson (1750-1829). He studied law in Richmond, Va. and finished his studies in 1797, afterwards relocating to Lexington, Kentucky. 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. Additionally, Clay served as John Quincy Adams' Secretary of State (1825-1829) and ran unsuccessfully for President in 1824, 1832, and 1844. His efforts in the legislature to avoid dissolution of the Union over slavery included the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and the Compromise of 1850. He married Lucretia Hart (1781-1864) in 1799; they had 11 children. Clay died on June 29, 1852 in Washington, D.C. and was buried in Lexington, Kentucky.

Scope and Content: Henry Clay fugitive slave letter and broadside (dated 1817 October 14-18; 0.05 cubic feet; 2 items)consist of a letter and broadside written by Henry Clay concerning a fugitive slave named Isaac. The broadside (October 18, 1817) and letter (October 14, 1817 written to Joseph Gales, Jr.) describe Isaac's appearance and flight in detail. In the letter Henry Clay asks Joseph Gales, Jr. to print Isaac's description in Gale's newspaper, the National Intelligencer.

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 Research Center.

Contents of the Collection

Henry Clay letter to [Joseph Gales, Jr.], 1817 October 14

Box VF-59, folder 1, item 1

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Henry Clay fugitive slave broadside, 1817 October 18

Box VF-59, folder 1, item 2

Scope and Contents

Broadside offering "Fifty Dollars Reward" for a fugitive slave named Isaac.

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Abstract
Descriptive Summary
Collection Overview
Preferred Citation
Restrictions on Access and Use
Contents of the Collection

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