Matthew Clay (politician)

Matthew Clay (born March 25, 1754 in Danville , Colony of Virginia , † May 27, 1815 in Halifax Court House , Virginia ) was an American politician . Between 1797 and 1815 he represented the state of Virginia in the US House of Representatives several times .

Career

Matthew Clay grew up during the British colonial era. In the 1770s he joined the American Revolution. During the Revolutionary War he served in various units from Virginia. He made it up to the captain and quartermaster. After the war he embarked on a political career. Between 1790 and 1794 he was a member of the Virginia House of Representatives . In the late 1790s he became a member of the Democratic Republican Party founded by Thomas Jefferson .

In the congressional elections of 1796 Clay was elected in the sixth constituency of Virginia in the US House of Representatives, which was then still in Philadelphia , where he succeeded Isaac Coles on March 4, 1797 . After seven re-elections, he was able to complete eight legislative terms in Congress by March 3, 1813 . Since 1803 he represented the 14th district of his state there. Between 1807 and 1809, Clay was chairman of the militia committee. During his time as a congressman in 1800, the new federal capital Washington, DC was moved. In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase made by President Jefferson expanded the territory of the United States considerably. Clay's time in Congress also marked the beginning of the British-American War of 1812 . In 1804 the twelfth amendment was ratified. In 1812 he was not re-elected.

In 1814 Matthew Clay was re-elected to Congress in the 15th constituency of Virginia, where he replaced John Kerr on March 4, 1815 . However, he could only exercise his new mandate until his death on May 27, 1815.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Clay, Matthew
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	March 25, 1754
PLACE OF BIRTH	near Danville , Virginia
DATE OF DEATH	May 27, 1815
Place of death	Halifax Court House , Virginia