henry clay was a leading candidate in 1824. he was born in virginia in 1777. after becoming a lawyer in virginia in 1797, he moved to kentucky to establish a law practice there. he was elected to the kentucky general assembly in 1803. another follower of jeffersonian politics he was elected to the u.s. house of representatives in 1811. there he served several terms eventually rising to become speaker of the house. he was one of the five delegates from the u.s. who negotiated the peace treaty at ghent. it was clay who proposed and got the passage of the missouri compromise in 1820.