Henry Clay was a prominent 19th-century American statesman and politician known for his role in crafting significant legislative compromises, such as the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850, which aimed to ease tensions between the North and South over slavery. As a leader of the Whig Party and a proponent of the 'American System,' Clay's influence extended across economic policy, infrastructure development, and efforts to maintain national unity during a period of deepening sectional conflict.