Martin Van BurenMartin Van Buren88thth President of the U.S President of the U.S

Democrat Democrat

Early LifeEarly Life• Of Dutch descent, he was born

in 1782, the son of a tavernkeeper and farmer, in Kinderhook, New York.

• As a young lawyer he became involved in New York politics.

Dates and FactsDates and Facts• 1813-1820 Served in the New York state senate.• 1816-1819 Held appointment as attorney general for the state

of New York. • 1821-1829 Represented New York in the U.S. Senate. • January 1829-March 1829 Served as governor of New York. • 1829-1831 Served as secretary of state under Andrew Jackson. • 1833-1837 Vice president of the United States under Andrew

Jackson. • 1837-1841 President of the United States. • 1848 Ran unsuccessfully for president on the Free-Soil Party

ticket. Did You Know Van Buren was called the 'Little Magician' and the 'Red Fox of Kinderhook' because he was a wily politician. Van Buren established the first state-wide political machine, known as the 'Albany Regency,' in New York. A political faction headed by Van Buren eventually became the Democratic Party.

Other Important Other Important FactsFacts• Recommended the creation of the Independent

Treasury System to store and disperse federal funds, which was adopted by Congress in 1840.

• Continued to support a war with the Seminole people begun during the administration of President Andrew Jackson.

• Sent Major General Winfield Scott to keep the peace with Great Britain in several skirmishes along the Canadian border.

• Limited the workday to ten hours on federal public works projects.