Hopkinsville, KY – Hopkinsville Community College (HCC) will hold its annual celebration of the United States Constitution on Tuesday, September 17th, at noon at the Emerging Technologies Building, Anderson Hall. Luke Bendick, HCC history instructor, will present, “The Constitution and Clay: The Great Compromiser and his view of the Constitution.” The talk will also be streamed live on HCC’s Facebook page.Henry Clay was a leading 19th century American statesman and, according to Frederick Douglass, “the most popular man in America.”
Best known as “The Great Compromiser” for his role in mediating sectional conflicts, Clay served in a variety of national positions for nearly five decades. His views on the U.S. Constitution rested on the belief that while the document itself did not change, the interpretation of it did when it was necessary to utilize the powers vested hitherto to promote the greater good for all Americans.
Clay’s rivalry with Andrew Jackson was one of epic proportions that mostly stemmed from divergent interpretations of the U.S. Constitution. This lecture will focus on Clay’s personal beliefs concerning the U.S. Constitution and how they were applied to his political career.
Speaker Luke Bendick is an American history instructor at HCC. A lifelong educator, prior to joining the HCC faculty, Luke taught at Glenville State University and at various institutions in the Houston, Texas area. His current research focuses on 19th century antebellum American politics with an emphasis on the intersections of gender and masculinity.
The program is free of charge and open to all. Light refreshments will be served. The Hopkinsville-Christian County League of Women Voters will also be on-site to provide voter registration in both Kentucky and Tennessee.
About Hopkinsville Community College
For many Pennyrile Kentucky region and Fort Campbell residents, higher education begins at Hopkinsville Community College (HCC). The college serves thousands of area residents each year as a comprehensive regional learning center providing academic and technical associate degrees; diploma and certificate programs in occupational fields; prebaccalaureate education; adult, continuing and developmental education; customized training for business and industry; and distance learning.
As part of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, HCC is a critical component to transforming the region’s economy by providing citizens with the education and training needed for high growth, high wage careers. For more information, visit Hopkinsville.kctcs.edu.
