Henry Clay and the Struggle for the Union: The Missouri Compromise of 1820 to the Tariff Compromise of 1833

This second installment in a series about Henry Clay—the 19th-century Kentucky senator, secretary of state, three-time-presidential candidate, and political idol of a young Abraham Lincoln—underscores Clay's essential role in keeping the United States from falling into civil war earlier through his formulation of the 1820 Missouri Compromise and the 1833 Tariff Compromise. Fast-paced and brief, the documentary deftly portrays the rising tensions between North and South over the nation's westward expansion. Supplemented by period photographs and art, dramatic re-enactments, maps, and footage of the Old Senate Chamber in the U.S. Capitol, writer-host Kent Masterson Brown presents a synopsis of the first crisis, centered on Missouri's application to join the Union as a slave-owning state, which would throw congressional control to the South. Clay was deeply influential in forging a complicated agreement in 1820 that no one liked but still kept the country together. In 1833, South Carolina refused to collect federal tariffs on imported goods, prompting President Andrew Jackson to threaten the state with charges of treason. Again, Clay (who vigorously supported tariffs as a means to develop America's economic infrastructure) had a major hand in finding a solution. Other topics touched on include Clay's political ambitions and his work with other senators—especially Daniel Webster and John C. Calhoun—in trying to keep the Union together. The other titles in the Henry Clay and the Struggle for the Union series are: The Formation of the Union and its Early Challenges and The Compromise of 1850 to the Civil War. Highly recommended. Aud: J, H, P. (T. Keogh)