Martin Van Buren | Biography, Presidency, Facts & Death

Martin Van Buren Summary

Martin Van Buren was born around December 5, 1782, in the vicinity of Kinderhook, New York, and died on July 24, 1862. He was the 8th President of the United States of America. (1837–41). He worked as a state attorney and member of the Nyc Senate (1812–20). As a result of their dominance in political affairs, while Martin Van Buren was still in Washington, an unofficial organization of Van Buren’s political allies became recognized as the Albany Regent. He was chosen to serve inside the U.S. Senators (1821–28), wherein he favored limited federalism and advocated states’ sovereignty.

Following his election as president, John Quincy Adams teamed together with Andrew Jackson, among others, to create the party that would later be known as the Democratic Establishment. He was appointed governor of Nyc in 1828 but withdrew to take the position of state secretary for the United States (1829–31).

He worked alongside Jackson and was a candidate for vice chairman at the first Liberal Party conference (1832). (1833–37). He beat William Harrison to secure the 1836 vote as Jackson’s preferred replacement. Economic slump, the Maine-Canada boundary conflict (including Aroostook Conflict), the Seminole Warfare throughout Florida, and the controversy over Texas statehood all occurred during his reign. 

Due to his abolitionist beliefs, he lost his attempt to return and could not get the Democratic candidate in 1844. He was indeed the Free Soil Group’s presidential candidate in 1848, but he was defeated and went into retirement.

Explore the full list of Presidents in the United States to understand their legacy and impact.

Fast Fact

Born	December 5, 1782, throughout Kinderhook, Nyc
Died	July 24, 1862, near Kinderhook, New York
Wife	Hannah Van Buren (married during 1807–1819)
Parents	Abraham Van Buren > Maria Hoes Van Buren

Early Life of Martin Van Buren

As of December 5, 1782, Martin Van Buren was the first American president who wasn’t a British member by birth. Van Buren’s humble background was only surpassed by Andrew Jackson’s, plus his non-British origin (his family was Dutch) would shatter one presidency mold.

Abraham Van Buren and Maria Hoes Van Buren, Van Buren’s family, were wholly of Dutch descent. They resided near Kinderhook, Nyc, a community close to Albany primarily occupied by people of similar ancestry. Martin was the fourth eldest of 6 children living in Van Buren, an impoverished family.

Before meeting his dad, his mom had 3 children and was widowed. The Martin Van Buren was by no account wealthy, but they did have 6 enslaved people, which would have been common for a household in Kinderhook. However, politics provided the family with a living. Govt employees traveling from Albany and Nyc visited the pub and inn operated by Abraham. He served as city clerk for extra cash, and political gatherings and votes were conducted in the pub. The bar patrons, including Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, introduced young Martin to American democracy.

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So at twenty-one, he was admitted to the bar association after completing his legal studies in New York. Martin’s dad asks a politician to help secure his son’s position as a law firm secretary.

Throughout the American Rebellion and the early days of the American States, Martin Van Buren studied law at Kinderhook, New York. Landlords and renters who disputed colonial-era rights to land in New York state Hudson Valley were among his customers. In these situations, he supported the ordinary people rather than the landed gentry, contributing to the agitation that helped reshape economic and social ties.

Senate and Vice-presidential Positions in Politics

Martin Van Buren campaigned for the New York Senators during 1812; throughout his election, he attacked the National banking system and backed the upcoming conflict with the United Kingdom over marine rights. He was elected by a small margin and had two terms (1812–20). He presided over the province as governor from 1815 to 1819 with his term in office.

Van Buren belonged to the Democratic Party’s Jeffersonian wing. He opposed a powerful national government and advocated the idea of states’ rights. A group of Jeffersonian Conservatives, led by Van Buren, collaborated to create a new political group.

Van Buren resigned from his position in the Senate in 1828 and was sworn into the office of New York. He did, however, resign from his position as governor within a year to become President Andrew Jackson’s state secretary. He received criticism for strengthening the corrupt political structure in this capacity. Some scholars from the past felt the criticism was unjustified.

Martin Van Buren Presidency

Martin Van Buren became the first president to settle in America after he entered office in 1837. A nationwide economic crisis that had been sparked partially by the movement of federal dollars from the Central bank to local banks throughout Jackson’s reelection hit the country almost instantaneously.

After a protracted battle during which numerous conservative Democratic defected to the upstart Whig Party, Van Buren’s plan to transfer federal monies from financial institutions to an “autonomous treasury” was approved by Congress throughout 1840.

The protracted and expensive conflict in Florida with the American Indians severely damaged Van Buren’s standing. His demise was influenced by his opposition to the projected incorporation of Texas, a newly autonomous nation. Martin Van Buren voted opposed enslaved Africans who were being tried in the U.S. for their role in the Amistad revolt in a bid to garner pro-slavery support in the campaign of 1840.

Martin Van Buren’s Death

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