The year is 1810 and Henry Clay of Kentucky is elected to the House of Representatives.  He has just finished serving two terms in the Senate.  He is also immediately elected Speaker of the House which is unheard of these days... a newly elected Congressmen to hold such a high office.  At that time, there were ongoing problems with Great Britain and war hawks were beginning to circle.  Clay formed a close-knit circle of allies.  The issues of the time were impressment of US sailors, seizing US ships, and the British encouraging Native American unrest.

The year is 1810 and Henry Clay of Kentucky is elected to the House of Representatives.  He has just finished serving two terms in the Senate.  He is also immediately elected Speaker of the House which is unheard of these days... a newly elected Congressmen to hold such a high office.  At that time, there were ongoing problems with Great Britain and war hawks were beginning to circle.  Clay formed a close-knit circle of allies.  The issues of the time were impressment of US sailors, seizing US ships, and the British encouraging Native American unrest.

Note from the author: This article was originally published in March of 2012. With attempts to legalize marijuana on ballot measures in three different states this November-- Colorado, Oregon, and Washington-- here are ten reasons to legalize marijuana in the United States right now. If you agree, please "Like" and share!

For the first time since the 1988 primary between George Bush Sr. and Bob Dole, the GOP primary in Illinois matters. And while 54 of the state's 69 delegates are at stake, GOP candidates will be fighting for much more than delegates today. In the midst of a prolonged and at times agonizing 2012 Republican primary season, here are three reasons why the Illinois Primary matters:

Little commentary is needed on the uncomfortably high prices we’ve been paying at the pump the past several weeks. When it comes to filling up, anything above $4 a gallon seems rather indulgent. So what factors have contributed to this current spike in gas prices?