(signed in by Wm. [William] McIlhenney)
Tuesday March 14, 1848
Athenaeum
Politics, Diplomacy & Law
Occupation: Attorney and Politician
Residence: Kentucky
RECORD OF STRANGERS IMAGE
Volume 5
Henry Clay, April 12, 1777 – June 29, 1852
Henry Clay was an attorney and American politician, who served in various positions throughout his career. He served as a United States Senator, member of the House of Representatives, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the United States Secretary of State. He also ran for president three times, as a member of three different political parties. Clay was known by his nickname, "The Great Compromiser" due to his determination to broker the best political deal in all situations. He was a strong proponent of compromises that served to preserve the union of the United States when regional disagreements over slavery came to a head. Clay was also instrumental in securing a declaration of war against Great Britain and bringing the United States into the War of 1812. Clay's legacy also includes the "American System", which established tariffs protecting American industry, a national bank, and improvements to infrastructure like roads and waterways. The Record of Strangers shows that Clay visited the Athenaeum multiple times across a 25-year period that spanned his political career, from 1823 to 1848.
Portrait courtesy of Smithsonian Open Access
(signed in by Elisha Kane)
Monday March 14, 1825
Philosophical Hall
104 South Fifth Street, Independence Square, First Floor
Politics, Diplomacy & Law
Occupation: Politician
Residence: U S Senate Illinois
RECORD OF STRANGERS IMAGE
Volume 2
Elias Kent Kane, June 7, 1794 – December 12, 1835
Elias Kent Kane was an American politician. He graduated from Yale in 1813 and studied law before being admitted to the bar and setting up a practice in Nashville, Tennessee. Kane was appointed judge of the Territory of Illinois, and helped to craft the state's constitution. He was an enslaver, and pushed for the constitution to allow for slavery in the state, but his efforts were defeated. Kane became Illinois' first Secretary of State in 1820, and again pushed to enshrine slavery in the constitution, but his efforts were blocked by Governor Edward Coles, a frequent visitor of the Athenaeum. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1824, where he served until his death in 1835. The Record of Strangers indicates that Kane visited the Athenaeum multiple times over the years.
