Henry Clay transformed Speaker of the House office into a position of power.
The position of Speaker of the House wasn't important enough at the beginning, until Henry Clay was elected to it. Clay participated in debates and used his influence for achieving his goals. When in the presidential elections of 1824 no candidate obtained a majority of the Electoral College, the President of the United States had to be elected by the House of Representatives and its President, Henry Clay supported John Quincy Adams instead of supporting Andrew Jackson and with this ensured the victory of Adams.