Country Vacations & Resorts

Time in Office: 1837 to 1841
Terms: One
Birthday: December 5, 1782
Birth Place: Kinderhook, New York
Date of Death: July 24, 1862
Place of Death: His home, Lindenwald estate, Kinderhook, New York
Buried: Kinderhook Cemetery, Columbia County, New York.

Notes:
~ First President a citizen of the United States
~ Nick-named “The Little Magician”
~ Only 5 feet, 6 inches tall
~ Never attended college
~ Only President who spoke English as a second language
~ Was Secretary of State, Vice President, and President

“There is a power of public opinion in this country which will not tolerate an incompetent or unworthy man to hold in his weak or wicked hands the lives and fortunes of his fellow-citizens.”

Unlike many of his contemporaries, America’s 8th President, Martin Van Buren, is not often quoted. By comparison, Martin maintained a relatively low profile – for a US President. But if you read his quote carefully, it appears Dutch and English-speaking Martin Van Buren was a good and thoughtful man for the job.

Martin Van Buren finished his school days by the age of 14 and after working as an apprentice to both an attorney and to a political insider, he was admitted to the bar in 1803 at the age of 21. He married his childhood sweetheart, Hannah Hoes, in 1807. She died from tuberculosis in 1819, leaving Martin with four sons. He never remarried.

Martin spent all of his early years and in fact most of his non-political time in the State of New York. In September 1831, Van Buren arrived in the United Kingdom, having been appointed minister to the Court of St. James. He did not stay there long however – politics being politics and his nomination having been rejected by the Senate – and after a short tour of Europe, he returned to the United States, July 1832. Good timing though since he had by then been selected to run for Vice President on the Andrew Jackson ticket.

Young Martin Van Buren
Photo: Library of Congress

Elected Vice President in 1832 and President in 1836, Van Buren attended both the first and second Democratic National Conventions, held in Baltimore, Maryland. Although Martin was a “hands-on” President, his time in office was a turbulent one for the nation. Martin accepted blame for some of his well-meant but failed policies regarding banking and the economy, and the relocation of Native populations. When defeated for re-election, he returned to his home, Lindenwald.

Lindenwald

Van Buren remained active in politics although his hoped-for return to the Presidency never happened. Battling a severe case of pneumonia, Martin died at Lindenwald from bronchial asthma and heart failure, July 1862.

By Van Buren’s time, not a lot had changed regarding travel since the time of any of his Presidential predecessors. Walking, riding horseback, or using horse and buggy were still the major modes of transportation. While steamboats were used for local trips, and often more for carrying agriculture products and supplies, transatlantic voyages were still “under sail” until approximately 1837.

You can read about one of the first steamship vessels here.

Van Buren’s successor? William Henry Harrison…