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Martin Van Buren Research Paper

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Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States. His ideas and actions have changed the U. S. both for the better and for the worse. His solutions and actions have affected the U. S. from his pre-presidency, to presidency, and post-presidency.

Martin Van Buren had an interesting life before he became president. He was born on December 5, 1782 in Kinderhook, New York. Until he was 14, he went to school at a local schoolhouse and briefly at Kinderhook Academy. After that, he worked as an apprentice for Francis Silvester, a lawyer. Later, his political jobs made him qualified to become president. Those jobs were a very well-respected lawyer, the attorney general of New York, a member of the U. S. Senate, governor of New York, the …show more content…

He did however have 3 opponents. His opponents were all from the Whigs Party, and their names were William Henry Harrison, Hugh L. White, and Daniel Webster. Martin Van Buren was from the Democratic Party, and to get elected he said that he would follow in President Andrew Jackson’s footsteps. Although with Jackson’s support he won the election easily, there was still an issue in the election. That issue was that some politicians began to make mean personal attacks on him in hopes of persuading the public not to vote for him. However, this issue was nothing compared to the problems he had to deal with during his presidency.

During his presidential years, Martin Van Buren had to deal with a few domestic issues. The Panic of 1837 was the biggest of these issues, and it was America’s worst depression. It happened because President Andrew Jackson made some bad decisions about the United States’ money system, and in the 1830s banks loaned out more money than they had to lend. The people used this to buy land and start …show more content…

After his presidency he was still involved in politics. He attempted twice more to run for office again; however, he failed each time. He also supported his favorite candidates, and he wrote articles against slavery. Additionally, he was the first president to live in a foreign country after term because in 1852 he lived in Europe for two years. After that he returned to Kinderhook, New York and lived in his home called Lindenwald. He then turned that house and the surrounding land into a farm. He died on July 24, 1862 in Kinderhook, New York at age 79 from asthma. He is remembered by a ceremony that is held in his honor every year on his birthday. Also, the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site was created in 1974. This site in Kinderhook, New York includes his mansion, Lindenwald, and around 40 acres of land. Finally, he is remembered for a number of things. His ideas led to the way politics are run today. He also found a successful way to beat his opponents in elections. He popularized the term ok because of his nickname Old Kinderhook. He was the first president that was born in the U. S.. He helped found the Democratic Party. He was an enthusiastic and clever politician. Additionally, he was remembered for founding America’s first political machine. Overall, Martin Van Buren wasn’t a very good president but he still had many

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