Day of Celebration in Honor of the Life of Henry Clay, 2026
On what would have been his 249th birthday, we honor the life and enduring legacy of Henry Clay — a true American original, whose incredible vision and lifetime of devoted service to our Republic helped forge the very Union we cherish so deeply.
Text
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
On what would have been his 249th birthday, we honor the life and enduring legacy of Henry Clay — a true American original, whose incredible vision and lifetime of devoted service to our Republic helped forge the very Union we cherish so deeply.
Born in the midst of the Revolutionary War on April 12, 1777, Clay rose from humble beginnings in Virginia to stand among the most consequential statesmen this country has ever produced. He represented the Commonwealth of Kentucky in the United States Congress, where he became the driving force behind what became known as the American System, championing strong protective tariffs to defend and develop domestic industry, a sound national financial structure to support growth and commerce, and Federal investment in roads, canals, and other internal improvements to bind the Nation together. The American System served as a practical blueprint for national strength, national unity, and national self-reliance.
Henry Clay understood that our Nation’s political independence must rest on a firm foundation of economic independence. He knew that sovereignty is never merely political. It is industrial. It is financial. It is commercial. He understood that when a Nation can no longer make what it needs, move what it makes, or defend the workers who sustain it, that Nation risks losing not only prosperity, but independence itself.
Throughout his time in public office, he never wavered in his fight for America’s economic independence during the most formative years of our country. Clay would go on to wield the gavel as Speaker of the House and serve with distinction in the Senate, and in 1825, he assumed the office of Secretary of State under President John Quincy Adams. Throughout his career, he was nominated for President three times — shaping the national debate with each campaign and contributing significantly to the advancement of American greatness.
As we commemorate 250 glorious years of American independence, it is especially fitting that we honor a statesman whose legacy is one of strength, vision, patriotism, and an unshakable belief in the greatness of the American Republic. Our country is strengthened by the memory of great statesmen who, like Henry Clay, devoted their lives to public service and led our people through times of both hardship and triumph.
In honor of this American titan, and to celebrate his pivotal role in the story of our Nation, I am proud to direct the White House Office of Administration to redesignate Room 208 of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the historic office of the Secretary of State, as the Henry Clay Room.
As we remember the life and contributions of Henry Clay, we carry forward his unshakable belief in the promise of America and honor the timeless example of a patriot who always placed country above self. May his memory always inspire each new generation of Americans to greatness, and may the Union he worked so mightily to preserve stand tall, united, and strong for centuries to come.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 12, 2026, as a day of celebration in honor of the life of Henry Clay.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-six, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth.
DONALD J. TRUMP