Martin Van Buren Democrat, the 8 th President ( ) December 5, 1782, at Kinderhook, NY July 24, 1862, at Kinderhook, NY

The First President  Born an American citizen rather than a British subject  Who did not speak English  To belong to the Dutch Reformed Church And also the first politician - To create a political machine - To secure a trade agreement with Turkey

The Unique President  To keep the country out of wars  with Mexico  with Britain  To stick to principles in office as much as out of it  The strongest commitment to free market, civil liberties, nonintervention

Personal Facts  The Fox of Kinderhook, the Little Magician, American Talleyrand, Van Ruin  Great-grandfather Cornelius Maesen emigrated in 1631 from Buurmalsen  A distant relative of T. Roosevelt  Small but sturdy, and a dandy  Married 24, widowed 36, 4 sons

Something to be proud of  A man of principles at 15, an ardent anti- Federalist  Politician at 18 – in 1800 campaigned for Jefferson  Admitted to the bar in 1803 without higher education

Irony of History  Presided over the Senate with 2 loaded pistols  Made “O.K.” popular  Reduced the workday of governmental laborers to 10 hours  Lost re-election to William Harrison because of economic crisis (Panic of ’37)

Political Career  New York State Senator,  US Senator,  Governor of New York, Jan-March 1829  Secretary of State,  Not minister to Great Britain, 1831  Vice President,

Foreign Policy  The Caroline Affair, 1837  The Aroostook War, 1839  The Texas Question,  The Russian Connection

Van Buren praised  People find in him a true friend and protector of their rights and liberty (Andrew Jackson)  One of the gentlest and most amiable men I have ever met with (W. Irving)  L’ami de tout le monde, his principle is the talisman of democracy (John Quincy Adams)

See you in Nüremberg  The Trail of Tears  The Second Seminole War  VPOTUS – Richard Mentor Johnson

Prez says (1 st Annual Message to Congress, Dec 5, 1837) Between Russia and the US sentiments of good will continue to be mutually cherished. Our minister has been received with a frankness and cordiality and with evidences of respect for his country which leave us no room to doubt the preservation in future of those amicable and liberal relations which have so long and so uninterruptedly existed between the 2 countries.