Henry Clay was born in Virginia in 1777. After earning a law license in 1797, he relocated to Lexington, Kentucky. He quickly gained a reputation as an adept trial lawyer, which led him into local politics. Elected to the state legislature in 1803, he interrupted his service to act as a defense counsel for the former vice president Aaron Burr in his trial for treason. After serving as speaker of the Kentucky House and filling out two unexpired terms in the U.S. Senate, Clay was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and became its Speaker in 1811. Clay’s charismatic personality and dramatic speaking style made him a natural leader. As the guiding force behind the so-called war hawks in Congress, Clay helped spur the United States into the War of 1812. He went on to serve as a peace commissioner in 1814, helping to negotiate the Treaty of Ghent.