Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States (1837-1841), after serving as the eighth Vice President and the tenth Secretary of State, both under President Andrew Jackson.
He was known as the “Little Magician” to his friends (and the “Sly Fox” to his enemies) in recognition of his reputed cunning and skill as a politician. Key events in the life of Martin Van Buren.
Martin Van Buren said that the two happiest days of his life were his entrance into the office of President and his surrender of the office. While his political opponents were glad to see him go—they nicknamed him “Martin Van Ruin”—many Americans were not.
While Van Buren has earned the accolades of scholars for his contributions to the development of the American political system, he has not been judged a great, nor even good, President. The main challenge President Van Buren faced was the nation's economic depression.
President Woodrow Wilson thought it evolved from a Choctaw word that he spelled “okeh.” It wasn't until American linguist Allen Walker Read, a Columbia University English professor, uncovered OK's true origins in the 1960s, however, that it could be traced back to a newspaper editor's off-hand quip in 1839.
Martin Van BurenSummary: Martin Van Buren, known as "the Little Magician" for his remarkable political agility, summons spirits to divine the Democratic or "Loco Foco" prospects for election in 1844.
Van Buren's Campaign slogan in 1836 was 'Van Buren and Democracy. ' A popular rhyme referred to the military service of his running mate, Richard...
Every president to date was either a citizen at the adoption of the Constitution in 1789 or born in the United States; of the former group, all except one had two parents with citizenship in what would become the U.S. (Andrew Jackson).
U.S. presidents by height order James Madison, the shortest president, was 5 ft 4 in (163 cm).
Some of the major issues that plagued the Van Buren administration included: A global economic disaster in 1837, failing to act on the Upper Canada (present‐day Ontario) and Texas questions, and continuing many of Andrew Jackson's policies including Indian Removal.
Age of presidents The youngest to become president by election was John F. Kennedy, who was inaugurated at age 43. The oldest person to assume the presidency was Joe Biden, who took the presidential oath of office 61 days after turning 78.
Van BurenVan Buren was the first president born an American citizen. He was also the only president for whom English was a second language; his first language was Dutch. Van Buren entered political life in 1812 after winning a seat in the state legislature.