Known as the Great Compromiser, Henry Clay earned his title by addressing sectional tensions over slavery and forestalling civil war in the United States. Today he is still regarded as one of the most important political figures in American history. As Speaker of the House of Representatives and secretary of state, Clay left an indelible mark on American politics at a time when the country’s solidarity was threatened by inner turmoil, and scholars have thoroughly chronicled his political achievements. However, little attention has been paid to his extensive family legacy. In The Family Legacy of Henry Clay: In the Shadow of a Kentucky Patriarch, Lindsey Apple explores the personal history of this famed American and examines the impact of his legacy on future generations of Clays. Apple’s study delves into the family’s struggles with physical and emotional problems such as depression and alcoholism. The book also analyzes the role of financial stress as the family fought to reestablish its fortune in the years after the Civil War. Apple’s extensively researched volume illuminates a little-discussed aspect of Clay’s life and heritage, and highlights the achievements and contributions of one of Kentucky’s most distinguished families.

David F. Henry, son of David and Anna Patterson Henry, was born 22 May 1836 in Pittsburgh. He married Annie Elenore Irvin, daughter of William A. and Ann Irvin, 19 September 1857. After their marriage they made their home in St. Anthony's Falls, Minnesota. The Henry's lived in several Minnesota locations before finally returning to Pittsburgh. In 1722 David F. Henry's ancestor, Robert Henry and his wife Mary emigrated from Scotland to America and settled in Chester County, Pennsylvania. During the same year, at Easton, Pa., a son was born to the couple who was named Robert. They remained in Pennsylvania until 1745, when they migrated to Virginia, settling in Martinsburg. Ancestors, descendants and relatives lived in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Ohio and elsewhere.