Martin Van Buren: The Little Magician

Early Life and Family

Martin Van Buren was born on December 5, 1782 in Kinderhook, New York — the first president born after American independence, making him the first to have been born as a U.S. citizen rather than a British subject. His family was of Dutch descent; Dutch was his first language and he spoke English with a slight accent. His father ran a tavern, and young Martin grew up listening to politicians debate in the back room.

He married his childhood sweetheart Hannah Hoes in 1807; she died of tuberculosis in 1819, leaving him a widower with four sons. Van Buren never remarried. He was known for being immaculately dressed — a sharp contrast to the frontier roughness of Jackson — and for giving nothing away in conversation.

Before the Presidency

The Albany Regency

Van Buren built the Albany Regency — the most effective political machine in early American history, controlling New York State politics through patronage, party discipline, and newspaper management. He essentially invented the modern political party as an organised, disciplined apparatus. He served in the U.S. Senate and as Governor of New York before becoming Jackson's Secretary of State and then Vice President.

The Presidency (1837–1841)

Panic of 1837

Van Buren took office on March 4, 1837. Two months later, the American economy collapsed in the Panic of 1837 — triggered partly by Jackson's destruction of the national bank, land speculation, and contraction of credit. Banks failed, businesses closed, unemployment soared. Van Buren's response was cautious and non-interventionist: he established an independent treasury to hold government funds separately from private banks, but rejected calls for relief or stimulus.

What He Built

• Established the Independent Treasury System, separating government finances from private banking — a model that persisted until the Federal Reserve was created in 1913.
• Kept the U.S. out of war with Britain over the Caroline Affair (1837) and the Aroostook War boundary dispute with Canada — both required careful diplomacy.

Controversies and Failures

• Amistad case: Van Buren's administration argued the Africans from the Amistad should be returned to Spain — he lost the case when Adams argued for their freedom before the Supreme Court.
• Trail of Tears completion: The forced removal of the Cherokee occurred largely during Van Buren's presidency, implementing Jackson's policy.
• The depression of 1837–43 never fully recovered on his watch, costing him re-election in 1840.

Death

Van Buren died on July 24, 1862 at his Lindenwald estate in Kinderhook — the same town where he was born 79 years earlier. He lived long enough to see the Civil War begin and expressed support for the Union. He died of bronchial asthma and heart failure.

Legacy and Writings

Van Buren wrote an Autobiography (unpublished until 1920) and extensive political correspondence. His most durable legacy is the political party system he helped create — the idea that parties should be organised, disciplined, and programmatic rather than loose coalitions of personalities. The word "OK" is widely believed to derive from his nickname "Old Kinderhook" — making him perhaps the most linguistically influential president in history.