State-Journal.com - Settle the score with a duel

Photo By Hilly SchifferGeorge McGee, who is impersonating Henry Clay, acts with fourth-grade students Jackson Borders, playing Andrew Jackson, and Isaiah Durham, playing Andrew Jackson’s friend, at The Frankfort Christian Academy Monday morning. Students were learning the history of Henry Clay.

He is considered one of the five greatest U.S. senators of all time. This farmer turned lawyer turned politician and ultimately political icon hails from Kentucky.

On Monday he visited students at The Frankfort Christian Academy.

Henry Clay, dubbed the Great Compromiser for his work to preserve the Union, grabbed the imagination of the social studies classes of Lonnie Lewis just as he did the nation’s attention in the 1800s.

Theater professor George McGee of Georgetown College brought his one-man show about the life of Kentucky’s most famous senator to TFCA through the auspices of the Kentucky Humanities Council.

“I do 15-20 shows a year, maybe more, from Paducah to Harlan,” McGee said. “The humanities council offers school grants for me to perform.”

He is now part of a three-year program that begins with his re-enactment of the life of Henry Clay and then prepares teachers to create their own historical figure and they in turn help students focus on preparing their own character.

Andrew Hankins got the message of the program.

“It was really good,” the fourth grader said after taking part in one of McGee’s stories about Clay. “It was fun and teaching at the same time.”

McGee held his audience in rapt attention as he recounted many of the known and lesser known facts about Clay’s life.

“I learned if I was going to bring this history to the students I had to make them a part of it,” McGee said.

And that he did, calling upon students to be part of duels, acting as doctors and former foes such as President Andrew Jackson.

He told the students that Jackson, upon his death, was believed to have said, “I only regret that I didn’t hang John C. Calhoun and shoot Henry Clay.”

Eighth-grader Trey Chaney enjoyed the show and the history lesson.

“He was really good. I learned a lot about Henry Clay.”

Pulling one senior from the audience to act as Jackson leading his troops into Georgia to protect settlers, McGee explained how Jackson invaded Florida without the permission of Congress.

McGee said from this point, Clay and Jackson had a contentious relationship their entire political lives. When in 1824 Jackson became president, beating Clay and John Q. Adams, Clay supported Adams for secretary of state, which Jackson labeled “a corrupt bargain.”

But it was the re-enactment of the duels Clay fought that had students begging to participate.

McGee told his audience that when fellow Senator Humphrey Marshall publicly called Clay a liar, the insult became personal and Clay challenged Marshall to a duel.

McGee carefully drew the students into the action by explaining that it then became the challenger’s right to choose the terms of the duel.

Humphrey chose “pistols at five paces” in a location in Indiana across the river from Kentucky.

A young student joined McGee and was given a replica of a dueling pistol as another student served as judge and counted the paces and gave the commands of ready, set, fire.

At this point the students were on the edge of their seats, only to learn both men survived the first shots. However, Clay was grazed above the navel.

As was the rule of dueling, Humphrey was again given another opportunity to shoot. This time both the judge and the students counted paces and gave the commands.

“Humphrey has one more opportunity to kill Henry Clay,” McGee explains.

“But the two miss again.”

At this point, McGee laughed and explained. “Clay learned three lessons: he is a terrible shot, politics are dangerous and from the entry of his wound he was forced to collect walking sticks for the rest of his life.”

In between the action of the several duels Clay fought, the students were taught how their famous Kentucky senator fought for the preservation of the Union at all costs, championing the compromises of 1820, 1833 and 1850, earning the title of the Great Compromiser.

“I have seen McGee perform three times, social studies teacher Lewis said. “I am never disappointed and I knew the kids would enjoy it.”

The enjoyment was evident as the class bell rang for dismissal and the students never budged.