author
Martin Van Buren
1782–1862
A sharp, self-made politician from Kinderhook, New York, helped build the modern Democratic Party and became the eighth president of the United States. His time in the White House was quickly tested by the Panic of 1837, a crisis that shaped his presidency and his reputation.
2 Audiobooks
State of the Union Addresses
by Martin Van Buren
Inquiry Into the Origin and Course of Political Parties in the United States
by Martin Van Buren
About the author
Born in Kinderhook, New York, on December 5, 1782, he was the first U.S. president born after American independence. Raised in a Dutch-speaking community, he trained as a lawyer and rose steadily through New York politics before serving as governor, U.S. senator, secretary of state, and vice president under Andrew Jackson.
Often nicknamed the "Little Magician" for his political skill, he was one of the key organizers of the Democratic Party and a master of party-building in the early republic. He became president in 1837, but almost immediately faced the Panic of 1837, a severe financial downturn that dominated his years in office.
After leaving the presidency, he remained active in public life and later ran on the Free Soil ticket in 1848, reflecting his opposition to the expansion of slavery into new western territories. He died in Kinderhook on July 24, 1862, ending a long career that stretched from the early republic to the Civil War era.