| Martin Van Buren | |
|---|---|
| File:Martin Van Buren Presidential Portrait.jpg | |
| Order | 8th President of the United States |
| In office | March 4, 1837 – March 4, 1841 |
| Vice President | Richard Mentor Johnson |
| Preceded by | Andrew Jackson |
| Succeeded by | William Henry Harrison |
| Born | December 5, 1782 Kinderhook, New York, United States |
| Political Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Hannah Van Buren (m. 1807–1819) |
| Children | 4 (including John Van Buren) |
| Profession | Lawyer, politician |
| Alma mater | Read law (no formal college) |
| Signature | 
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Martin Van Buren (December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was the **8th president of the United States** (1837–1841). A skilled organizer and protégé of Andrew Jackson, he helped build the modern Democratic Party and later ran as the **Free Soil** candidate in 1848 opposing the spread of slavery.
Early Life and Career
Born in **Kinderhook, New York**, to a Dutch-speaking family, Van Buren read law and rose quickly in New York politics as a savvy party strategist. He served in the **New York State Senate**, as **state attorney general**, and in the **U.S. Senate** (1821–1828). As New York governor (briefly, 1829) and then **Secretary of State** under Jackson, he became a central architect of Jacksonian politics. He served as **vice president** (1833–1837) during Jackson’s second term.
Presidency (1837–1841)
Van Buren took office just as the **Panic of 1837** struck, triggering a deep depression marked by bank failures and unemployment. He backed the creation of an **Independent Treasury** (enacted 1840) to keep federal funds separate from private banks, a cornerstone of Jacksonian finance.
Other notable issues:
- **Indian Removal:** Removals initiated under Jackson continued during Van Buren’s term, including the tragic **Trail of Tears** for the Cherokee.
- **Foreign affairs:** Managed tensions with Britain during the **Aroostook “War”** (Maine–New Brunswick boundary dispute), which ended without large-scale fighting.
- **Domestic politics:** Faced opposition from emerging Whigs and intra-party dissent as hard times persisted.
Defeated by **William Henry Harrison** in 1840, Van Buren’s single term was defined by economic crisis and his adherence to limited-government principles.
Later Life
In 1848, Van Buren led the anti-slavery Free Soil Party for president, opposing the expansion of slavery into western territories; he won no states but drew significant votes. He spent his final years at his Kinderhook estate, Lindenwald, writing and advising.
Legacy
Renowned as a master politician—the “Little Magician”—Van Buren helped shape America’s two-party system and disciplined national party organization. His presidency suffered from the Panic of 1837, but his Independent Treasury idea influenced U.S. finance for decades. His late-life Free Soil stance foreshadowed the antislavery coalition that would form the Republican Party.