Martin Van Buren

1782 - 1862

Though not altogether exempt from embarrassments that disturb our tranquillity at home and threaten it abroad, yet in all the attributes of a great, happy, and flourishing people we stand without a parallel in the world. Inaugural Address

Overview

In his posthumously published memoirs, Martin Van Buren covered his rise in New York politics and his subsequent contributions to the formation of the Democratic Party and Andrew Jackson’s presidency. It seems symbolic, however, that the memoirs never reached his own presidential administration, depriving Americans of Van Buren’s self-assessment of his time as chief executive.

Life In Depth Essays

Fast Facts

Full Name

Martin Van Buren

Birth Date

December 5, 1782

Death Date

July 24, 1862

Birth Place

Kinderhook, New York

Education

Kinderhook Academy (graduated 1796)

Religion

Dutch Reformed

Career

Lawyer

Political Party

Democrat

Nickname

“The Little Magician,” “The Red Fox of Kinderhook”

Marriage

February 21, 1807, to Hannah Hoes (1783–1819)

Children

Abraham (1807–1873), John (1810–1866), Martin (1812–1855), Winfield Scott (1813), Smith Thompson (1817–1876)

Inauguration Date

March 4, 1837

Date Ended

March 4, 1841

President Number

Burial Place

Kinderhook Cemetery, Kinderhook, New York

Chicago Style

Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. “Martin Van Buren.” Accessed February 10, 2026. https://millercenter.org/president/vanburen.

Professor

Mark Cheathem

Cumberland University

Professor Cheathem is the Heller Family Endowed Professor of History and the Project Director of The Papers of Martin Van Buren at Cumberland University.

Professor Cheathem's writings include