Editing Henry Clay (section)

===Van Buren administration, 1837–1841===
{{See also|Presidency of Martin Van Buren|25th United States Congress|26th United States Congress}}
[[File:1839WhigPresidentialNomination1stBallot.png|thumb|upright=1.4|Clay (brown) won the backing of several state delegations on the first ballot of the [[1839 Whig National Convention]], but [[William Henry Harrison]] ultimately won the party's presidential nomination.]]

Van Buren's presidency was affected badly by the [[Panic of 1837]], a major recession that badly damaged the Democratic Party.{{sfn|Heidler|Heidler|2010|pp=279–280}} Clay and other Whigs argued that Jackson's policies, including the use of pet banks, had encouraged speculation and caused the panic.{{sfn|Klotter|2018|pp=242–243}} He promoted the American System as a means for economic recovery, but President Van Buren's response focused on the practice of "strict economy and frugality."{{sfn|Howe|2007|pp=505–506}} As the [[1840 United States presidential election|1840 presidential election]] approached, many expected that the Whigs would win control of the presidency due to the ongoing economic crisis.{{sfn|Heidler|Heidler|2010|p=84}} Clay initially viewed Webster as his strongest rival,{{sfn|Heidler|Heidler|2010|pp=284–287}} but Clay, Harrison, and General [[Winfield Scott]] emerged as the principal candidates at the [[1839 Whig National Convention]].{{sfn|Heidler|Heidler|2010|pp=296–297, 300}}

Though he was widely regarded as the most qualified Whig leader to serve as president, many Whigs questioned Clay's electability after two presidential election defeats. He also faced opposition in the North due to his ownership of enslaved people and lingering association with the Freemasons, and in the South from Whigs who distrusted his moderate stance on slavery.{{sfn|Klotter|2018|pp=249–254}} Clay won a plurality on the first ballot of the Whig National Convention, but, with the help of [[Thurlow Weed]] and other backers, Harrison consolidated support on subsequent ballots and won the Whig presidential nomination on the fifth ballot of the convention.{{sfn|Klotter|2018|pp=257–258}}{{efn|During the balloting, Clay and Scott played cards with Whig politicians [[John J. Crittenden]] and [[George Evans (American politician)|George Evans]] at the [[Astor House]] hotel in [[New York City]].  When the group received word of Harrison's victory, Clay blamed his loss on Scott and struck him, with the blow landing on the shoulder which had been wounded during Scott's participation in the [[Battle of Lundy's Lane]].  Afterwards Clay had to be physically removed from the hotel room. Scott then sent Crittenden to Clay with Scott's challenge for a duel, but Crittenden reconciled them by convincing Clay to apologize.<ref>{{cite book |last=Eisenhower |first=John S. D.|author-link=John Eisenhower |date=1999 |title=Agent of Destiny: The Life and Times of General Winfield Scott |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vkVCQmU9nfYC&pg=PA1 |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |pages=205–206 |isbn=978-0806131283}}</ref>}} Seeking to placate Clay's supporters and to balance the ticket geographically, the convention chose former Virginia Governor and Senator [[John Tyler]], a personal friend of Clay, whose previous career in the Democratic Party had practically come to an end, as the vice-presidential nominee.{{sfn|Heidler|Heidler|2010|pp=309–310}} Clay was disappointed by the outcome but helped Harrison's ultimately successful campaign by delivering numerous speeches.{{sfn|Heidler|Heidler|2010|pp=311–312}} With Whigs also winning control of Congress in the [[1840 United States elections|1840 elections]], Clay saw the upcoming [[27th United States Congress|27th Congress]] as an opportunity for the Whig Party to establish itself as the dominant political party by leading the country out of recession.{{sfn|Klotter|2018|pp=261–263}}