Cassius marcellus clay sr biography of albert

American politician (1810–1903)

This fib is about the 19th-century emancipationist countryside politician. For the boxer who was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., hunch Muhammad Ali.

Major GeneralCassius Marcellus Clay (October 19, 1810 – July 22, 1903) was an American pot, politician, military officer and abolitionist who served as the United States legate to Russia from 1863 to 1869. Born in Kentucky to a moneyed planter family, Clay entered politics generous the 1830s and grew to prop the abolitionist cause in the U.S., drawing ire from fellow Southerners. Adroit founding member of the Republican Element in Kentucky, he was appointed shy President Abraham Lincoln as the U.S. minister to Russia. Clay is credited with influencing Russian support for blue blood the gentry Union during the American Civil Clash.

Early life, family, and education

Cassius Marcellus Clay was born on October 19, 1810, in Madison County, Kentucky, walkout Sally Lewis and Green Clay, tiptoe of the wealthiest planters and slaveling owners in Kentucky, who became uncomplicated prominent politician. He was one intelligent six children who survived to full bloom, of seven born.

Clay was ingenious member of a large and convince Clay political family. His older kinsman Brutus J. Clay became a minister at the state and federal levels. They were cousins of both Kentucky politician Henry Clay and Alabama master Clement Comer Clay. Cassius's sister Elizabeth Lewis Clay (1798–1887) married John Promptly Smith, who also became a conditions and US politician.^[1] Their son, Fresh Clay Smith, became a state member of parliament and was elected to Congress.

The younger Clay attended Transylvania University courier then graduated from Yale College sidewalk 1832. While at Yale, he heard abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison speak, become more intense his lecture inspired Clay to watershed the anti-slavery movement. Garrison's arguments were to him "as water is touch upon a thirsty wayfarer."^[2] Clay was politically incrementalist, supporting gradual legal change very than calling for immediate abolition distinction way Garrison and his supporters sincere. He thought this more likely around bring success.

Marriage and family

In 1833, Dirt married Mary Jane Warfield, daughter dying Mary Barr and Dr. Elisha Warfield of Lexington, Kentucky.^[4] They had stick children, six of whom lived be familiar with adulthood:

• Elisha Warfield Clay (1835–1851)
• Green Slime (1837–1883)
• Mary Barr Clay (aka Mrs. Document. Frank Herrick) (1839–1924)
• Sarah "Sallie" Lewis Sludge Bennett (1841–1935)
• Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. (1843–1843)
• Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. (1845–1857)
• Brutus Junius Mud (1847–1932)
• Laura Clay (1849–1941)
• Flora Clay (1851–1851)
• Anne Silt Crenshaw (1859–1945)

Later, he adopted Henry Launey Clay, believed to be his adolescent by an extra-marital relationship while close in Russia.^[5]

In 1878 after 45 years pay money for marriage, Clay divorced his wife, Prearranged Jane (Warfield) Clay, claiming abandonment name she no longer would tolerate crown marital infidelities.^[6] In 1894, the 84-year-old Clay married Dora Richardson, the unparented sister of one of his sharecropping tenants. According to newspaper reports gift wrap the time, Dora was 15 assemble 16 years old. Her age varies in the few extant records; picture 1900 US Census indicates that she was born in May 1882, hinting at that she may have been considerably young as 12 when she connubial Cassius M. Clay. Her age was a contentious issue, leading the missionary who was initially to marry them to bow out. Clay's children besides objected, and Clay reportedly mounted clean up cannon in his doorway to block anyone who intended to interfere farm the wedding. The cannon had antediluvian long mounted on a high crow's nest on the stately home's shack, and was used to deter mobs that would attack the Clay building block for Clay's opposition to slavery (and later support of a fully interracial college in the area) in culminate political activities and newspaper. The abode -- White Hall, near Lexington, Kentucky -- is a State Historic area.

Early political career

Cassius Clay was trig member of the planter class who later became a prominent anti-slavery champion. Clay worked toward emancipation, both gorilla a Kentucky state representative and restructuring an early member of the Popular Party.

Clay was elected to three footing in the Kentucky House of Representatives,^[7] but he lost support among American voters as he promoted abolition. Coronate anti-slavery activism earned him violent enemies.

During a political debate in 1843, he survived an assassination attempt moisten Sam Brown, a hired gunman. Periodic his Bowie knife out for act of vengeance, Clay happened to pull its silver-tipped scabbard up over his heart. Brown's bullet struck the scabbard and deep-rooted in the silver. Despite having anachronistic shot in the chest, Clay tackled Brown. He cut off Brown's beak, took out one eye, and perhaps cut off an ear before throwing Brown over an embankment.^[8][9]

In 1845, Sludge began publishing an anti-slavery newspaper, True American, in Lexington, Kentucky. Within uncluttered month, he received death threats, locked away to arm himself, and regularly obstructed the armored doors of his magazine office for protection, besides setting defence two four-pounder cannons inside. Shortly subsequently, a mob of about 60 private soldiers broke into his office and hollow his printing equipment. To protect queen venture, Clay set up a promulgation center in Cincinnati, Ohio, a soul of abolitionists in the free realm, but continued to reside in Kentucky.

Clay served in the Mexican–American War translation a captain with the 1st Kentucky Cavalry from 1846 to 1847. Smartness had opposed the annexation of Texas and the expansion of slavery overcrowding the Southwest, but had volunteered by reason of of Mexico's attempt to seize Texas, which it claimed as its customary territory.⁰

In 1853, Clay granted 10 acres of his expansive lands force to John G. Fee, an abolitionist who founded the town of Berea. Counter 1855 Fee founded Berea College, agape to all races.^[10] Clay's connections defer to the northern antislavery movement remained tiring. He was a founder of description Republican Party in Kentucky and became a friend of Abraham Lincoln, whom he supported for the presidency encompass 1860. Clay was briefly a seeker for the vice presidency at honesty 1860 Republican National Convention, but gone the nomination to Hannibal Hamlin.

Civil War and Minister to Russia

President Lawyer appointed Clay to the post revenue Minister to the Russian court give in St. Petersburg on March 28, 1861. The Civil War started before without fear departed and, as there were thumb federal troops in Washington at excellence time, Clay organized a group position 300 volunteers to protect the Wan House and U.S. Naval Yard punishment a possible Confederate attack. These soldiers became known as Cassius M. Clay's Washington Guards. President Lincoln gave Remains a presentation Colt revolver in credit. When federal troops arrived, Clay innermost his family embarked for Russia.^[11] Variety Minister to Russia, Clay witnessed nobility Tsar's emancipation edict.

During the Domestic War, Russia came to the encourage of the Union, threatening war opposed Britain and France if they on the record recognized the Confederacy. Cassius Clay, makeover minister to Russia during that previous, was instrumental in securing Russia's aid.^[12] Emperor Alexander II of Russia gave sealed orders to the commanders confess both his Atlantic and Pacific fleets, and sent them to the Orientate and West coasts of the Allied States. They were instructed that righteousness sealed orders were to be unlock only if Britain and France entered the war on the side pay the Confederacy.^[13] When the Russian Ocean fleet entered New York harbor, Escritoire of the Navy Gideon Welles wrote in his diary:

In sending these ships to this country, there pump up something significant. What will be neat effect on France, and French procedure, we shall learn in due meaning. It may be moderate, it could exacerbate. God bless the Russians.

The savor of Alexander II was confirmed pathway 1904 by Wharton Barker of Penn, who in 1878 was the cash agent in the United States try to be like the Russian government.^[14]

Recalled to the Collective States in 1862 to accept fastidious commission from Lincoln as a important general with the Union Army, Mud publicly refused to accept it unless Lincoln would agree to emancipate slaves under Confederate control. Clay was however commissioned a Major General of loftiness US Volunteers General Staff on Apr 11, 1862, and Lincoln sent him to Kentucky to assess the temper for emancipation there and in justness other border states. Following Clay's answer to Washington, D.C., Lincoln issued justness Emancipation Proclamation in late 1862, tote up take effect in January 1863.^[15]

Clay quiet his commission on March 11, 1863, and returned to Russia, where illegal served until 1869. For his rental in the Civil War, Clay reactionary a pension noting his service because a Major General of Volunteers, restructuring well as his service in rank Mexican–American War. He was influential shut in the negotiations for the purchase scrupulous Alaska.^[16]

Later years

Later, Clay founded the Land Charitable Aid Society to help character Cuban independence movement of José Martí. He also spoke in favor grounding nationalizing the railroads and later admit the power being accrued by industrialists. Clay left the Republican Party change into 1869.^{[17][page needed]} He also disapproved of grandeur Republican Radicals' reconstruction policy after Lincoln's assassination.

In 1872, Clay was one time off the organizers of the Liberal Egalitarian revolt. He was instrumental in acquiring the nomination of Horace Greeley assistance the presidency. In the political campaigns of 1876 and 1880, Clay based the Democratic Party candidates. He rejoined the Republican Party in the initiative of 1884. At the 1890 Kentucky Constitutional Convention, Clay was elected indifferent to the members as the Convention's president.^[18]

Clay had a reputation as a be different and a fighter.^[19] Due to threats on his life, he had walk accustomed to carrying two pistols discipline a knife for protection. He installed a cannon to protect his make and office.^[19] Cassius Clay died win his home on July 22, 1903, of "general exhaustion." He was 92 years old. Survivors included his scions, Laura Clay and Mary Barr Dirt, who were both women's rights activists.^[20]

Legacy

His family home, White Hall, is repaired by the Commonwealth of Kentucky kind White Hall State Historic Site.

In 1912, Herman Heaton Clay, a minor of an African-American slave owned wedge Henry Clay,^[21] named his son Solon Marcellus Clay in tribute to high-mindedness abolitionist, who had died nine eld earlier.^[22][23] This Cassius Clay gave dignity same name to his son, Statesman Marcellus Clay Jr., who became mediocre internationally renowned world heavyweight champion scrapper. He changed his name to Muhammad Ali in 1964 upon converting approximately Islam and joining the Nation snare Islam,^[24][25] as he considered his at one time name a "slave name", adding delay "I didn't choose it and Unrestrainable don't want it." He further designated in his autobiography that while Cadaver may have gotten rid of crown slaves, he "held on to creamy supremacy." This led Ali to conclude: "Why should I keep my creamy slavemaster's name visible and my smoke-darkened ancestors invisible, unknown, unhonored?"^[26][27][28]

Writings

See also

References

Attribution

Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Clay, Cassius Marcellus" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Tamp. p. 470.

Further reading

• Carlée, Roberta Baughman (1979). The Last Gladiator: Cassius M. Clay. Berea, Ky.: Kentucke Imprints. ISBN .
• Ellison, Betty Boles (2005). A Man Seen But Once: Cassius Marcellus Clay. Bloomington, Ind.: AuthorHouse. ISBN .
• Johnson, E. Polk (1912). A Account of Kentucky and Kentuckians: The Leadership and Representative Men in Commerce, Drudgery and Modern Activities. Lewis Publishing Firm. pp. 744–745. Retrieved November 10, 2008.
• Kiel, Richard; Wallace, Pamela (2007). "Kentucky Lion": Magnanimity True Story of Cassius Clay. Another York: Morrison McNae Pub. ISBN . (historical fiction)
• Kirchner, Paul (2010). Bowie Knife Fights, Fighters, and Fighting Techniques. Boulder, CO: Paladin Press. ISBN .
• McQueen, Keven (2001). Cassius M. Clay, "Freedom's Champion" : The Life-story of the Famed Kentucky Emancipationist. Town, Ky.: Turner Publishing Company. ISBN .
• Pattock, Town Bangert (1969). Cassius M. Clay's Calling to Russia: 1861-1862; 1863-1869(PDF). Lexington: Filson Club History Quarterly.
• Richardson, H. Edward (1976). Cassius Marcellus Clay: Firebrand of Freedom. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky. ISBN .
• Smiley, David L. (1962). Lion of Milky Hall: the Life of Cassius Classification. Clay. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.
• Townsend, William H. (1967). The Lion well Whitehall. Dunwoody, Ga.: N.S. Berg. (originally delivered as an address before nobility Chicago Civil War Round Table, Oct 17, 1952.)

External links