Welcome to part eight! It’s time for the first, and thus far only, president to speak English as a second language. Let’s dive into the administration of the ‘Little Magician’ Martin Van Buren:
Inauguration- 4th March 1837
Martin Van Buren entered the White House on this day. Joined by friend and predecessor Andrew Jackson, it marked the first time an outgoing and incoming president rode together to the Capitol. Van Buren’s inaugural address struck a conciliatory tone, talking about the greatness of the last half-century of America and the men that had come before him.
Panic of 1837- 10th May 1837
Any honeymoon period that Van Buren may have enjoyed ended pretty quickly. The Panic of 1837 occurred after New York banks ran out of silver and gold. The bubble had burst. Banks shut and people were left with worthless currency. For the next few years, unemployment rose, whilst investment and wages fell. Whilst many point to the economic policies of Jackson as the reason for the panic, voters clearly blamed Van Buren.
Opposed the Annexation of Texas- 5th August 1837
Support for annexation was generally high, but Van Buren caused controversy on this day by opposing it. He was worried that doing so would invite war with Mexico and that creating Texas as a slave state would upset the balance (Van Buren opposed the expansion of slavery). Texas would be annexed within the next decade.
William Lyon Mackenzie attempts a rebellion- 5th December 1837
On this date, William Lyon Mackenzie attempted a rebellion against British rule in Upper Canada. These attempts failed and Mackenzie was forced to flee to the USA. Many in America sympathised with his ideals, but as he had violated neutrality laws by attempting an invasion from the USA, he was arrested.
Battle of Lake Okeechobee- 25th December 1837
The Second Seminole War was in full swing at the time of the Van Buren administration. One of the largest battles of the war was the Battle of Lake Okeechobee. On this date, Christmas Day, an American contingent led by Colonel Zachary Taylor came up against a Native American force at Lake Okeechobee, Florida. The Seminoles managed to evacuate their most skilled fighters from the camp and retreated, but also forced the Americans to do the same. Over twenty Americans and ten Natives were killed. Whilst technically a Seminole win based on kills, Americans called it a victory for themselves. Colonel Taylor became a renowned figure, nicknamed ‘Old Rough and Ready,’ and would later become president.
Seizure of the Caroline– 29th December 1837
Mackenzie was in America, but many of his rebels were still in Canada. The Caroline, an American ship, was chartered to bring them supplies. She was moored when found by a British-backed Upper Canadian militia. A shootout killed an American civilian. The militia then torched the Caroline and set it tumbling over Niagara Falls. America was in uproar over the event and Van Buren complained to the British, who argued that it was self defence.
Proclamation 45A—Neutrality With Respect to Canadian Affairs- 5th January 1838
In response to the Caroline, Van Buren announced Proclamation 45A, also titled ‘Neutrality With Respect to Canadian Affairs.’ In it, he tells Americans who have got involved with Canada to return home and if they continue, they will get no support from the Government and will be left to the mercy of the Canadians. Van Buren was thus criticised as being too soft on the issue by the Americans sympathetic to the rebels.
Second Battle of the Loxahatchee- 24th January 1838
The Second Battle of the Loxahatchee was the final pitched battle of the Second Seminole War, in that it was the final one that was planned and decided in advance. Led by General Thomas Jessup, the American forces attacked a Seminole encampment. The Seminoles managed to evacuate non-combatants from the encampment before slipping away themselves, but not without losses on both sides.
Forced removal of the Cherokee People begins- 25th May 1838
The foundation of the Trail of Tears was laid by the Jackson administration, but it officially began under Van Buren. Several tribes were removed earlier, but the Cherokees were finally forced out of their homes on this date. Over fifteen-thousand Cherokees and African-American slaves were forced to government lands in the West. Over three thousand died on the trail, adding to the many more in other tribes. Despite general apathy and dislike of Natives by American settlers, there was outrage at their treatment and urge for the government to stop. Protests were met with resistance.
Congress repeals the Specie Circular- 21st May 1838
Andrew Jackson, ever the opponent of paper money, had signed an executive order called the ‘Specie Circular,’ demanding that all payment for government land should be made in gold or silver. Some believed that this contributed to the aforementioned Panic of 1837, and Congress thus repealed it on this day. It didn’t do much to abate the crisis, as the panic continued for some time.
Blocks Texas annexation- 5th August 1838
As discussed above, Van Buren opposed the annexation of Texas. He officially blocked it on this day, something that was controversial within the party and the country at large.
Texas withdraws annexation offer- 12th October 1838
Despite a desire for annexation, Texas understood that it would be difficult in the current climate. They therefore withdrew the annexation offer, though this would be temporary.
Abraham Van Buren marries Angelica Singleton- 27th October 1838
Martin Van Buren’s wife Hannah had died in 1819, and he had been a widower ever since. Earlier presidents Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson had also been widowers, but had used friends and other relatives as de facto First Ladies. Van Buren had done no such thing. Enter Dolley Madison, who had been a First Lady in her own right and acted as a hostess for Thomas Jefferson. Dolley Madison had a first cousin once-removed named Sarah Angelica Singleton, known usually by her middle name. She introduced Angelica to the bachelor sons of Martin Van Buren. They all wanted her hand, but she eventually chose eldest son Abraham. The wedding happened in South Carolina, but the pair went back to DC where Angelica acted as de facto First Lady.
Rebellions of 1837-1838 end- 4th December 1838
The Rebellions of 1837-1838 ended on this date following the Battle of Windsor, a battle which involved American troops helping the British and Canadian governments. Canadian rebels were charged with treason, leading to imprisonment and even execution. This ended geopolitical tensions in the region, at least for a while, but Van Buren was still seen as weak and indecisive due to his previous inclination towards neutrality.
Signs Act giving the President additional powers if Great Britain invades Maine- 3rd March 1839
Whilst issues with Canada were somewhat resolved, Great Britain was still a threat. Van Buren had been concerned about British attempts to lay claim to Maine, as the Aroostook War had shown, and thus an act which gave him additional powers was signed on this date. It permitted Van Buren to call up to 50,000 volunteers if the need arose.
End of the Aroostook War- 25th March 1839
The Aroostook War, as mentioned above, was a brief conflict between the United States and Great Britain over borders between New Brunswick and Maine. There was never any military action, though the act above clearly preempted such an action. Fortunately, the war ended without bloodshed following a treaty that would not be settled until 1842.
A Convention for the Adjustment of Claims is signed- 11th April 1839
Following the Mexican-American War, a number of US citizens had laid claims upon Mexico. With arbitration from Frederick William III, King of Prussia, a negotiation was eventually signed. It would come into effect later in 1840.
The Amistad is captured- 24th August 1839
The issue of slavery was not yet decided in the USA, nor was it around the world, a fact compounded by the case of La Amistad. A group of slaves had been illegally procured in Cuba and were placed on the Spanish vessel to be taken to plantations. During the journey, several of the slaves rebelled. The Spanish were forced by the slaves to sail to Africa, but instead sailed up the coast of America. It was on this date that the Amistad was seized by the USS Washington and all aboard brought to shore. The case soon unraveled as the Spanish fought for the slaves to be returned, whilst Americans were divided by the case. There will be more on this later.
Crisis of 1839- October 1839
The Crisis of 1839 began roughly in October that year. The disastrous economic consequences of the Panic of 1837 had roughly abated by then, but came back swinging. Earlier in the year, many banks in the South and the West had stopped paying out in silver and gold, which is how the Panic of 1837 had started. By October, deflation was rapidly occurring and specie convertibility had been stopped by the Bank of the United States of Pennsylvania. This led to an even longer economic crash for which Van Buren was once again blamed.
Executive Order Limiting Gov Work Hours to 10 Hours- 31st March 1840
Van Buren signed an executive order limiting the working hours of federal employees, mainly those in blue collar roles, to ten hours a day. One can see an element of Jacksonian Democracy in this, as it was a piece designed to protect the common worker.
Renominated by the Democrats- 5th May 1840
Van Buren was renominated by his party on this date at the Democratic National Convention in Baltimore. Despite his deep unpopularity, removing an incumbent president from the ticket was unknown at the time. Some opposition was raised and attempts to replace him with James K. Polk were made, but Van Buren clung on. At the same time, he was forced to make concessions by allowing his vice president Richard M. Johnson to be dropped from the ticket. Jackson supported his dear old protege as president, and also wanted new protege Polk as Vice President. Unfortunately, no one could decide on the vice presidency, so Van Buren ran without a ticket.
Independent Treasury Act signed- 4th July 1840
The Independent Treasury Act was signed on this date. Martin Van Buren had sought to create an independent treasury that would separate the banking and financial system of the USA from the government system. Despite opposition from many, Van Buren managed to get it passed. Unfortunately for him, the Whigs repealed the law when they got a Congressional majority a year later.
Loses reelection- 2nd December 1840
The voting for the 1840 Presidential Election finished on this day. Van Buren remained unpopular, though Jackson continued to support him. Meanwhile, the Whigs threw all their weight behind their candidate, William Henry Harrison. A snide comment by the Democrats backfired when the Whigs started portraying Harrison as a hard cider drinking common man in touch with the people, as well as advertising his status as a war hero. Whilst Van Buren was known as being less than masculine and a little softer, he had in fact come from a working household. Meanwhile, Harrison came from a storied political family, his father having signed the Declaration of Independence. The story of ‘Tippencanoe and Tyler Too’ whipped voters into a frenzy, and Harrison came out on top.
Amistad Supreme Court Case Begins- 22nd February 1841
Van Buren had wanted to acquiesce to Spanish demands to release the Amistad and its slaves, but was prevented from doing so by law. The case, which had whipped up much public attention, was taken all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States. The US Government was represented by the Attorney General Henry D. Gilpin. Meanwhile, the Africans were represented by Roger Sherman Baldwin and ardent abolitionist former president John Quincy Adams. It would not be until the next administration that the case would be decided.
Leaves office- 4th March 1841
Martin Van Buren left the presidency on the 4th March 1841, handing the White House keys over to William Henry Harrison. It’s alleged that Van Buren said ‘As to the presidency, the two happiest days of my life were those of my entrance upon the office and my surrender of it.’ He returned to his home in Kinderhook, but didn’t stay away from politics. Van Buren attempted to regain the Democratic nomination in 1844, but dropped out to support James K. Polk when it became clear it wouldn’t happen. He returned to the fold in 1848, where he became the candidate for the Free Soil Party, opposing the expansion of slavery due to his personal opposition to it, and his running mate was Charles Francis Adams, son and grandson of two former presidents. Whilst they didn’t win, they got over 10% of the vote and managed to split the result of the election so that Zachary Taylor could win. Van Buren remained involved in politics behind the scenes, making his feelings known on the major issues of the day, and proved a supporter of the Union during the Civil War. Martin Van Buren died on the 24th July 1862, aged seventy-nine. He outlived four of his immediate successors and saw eight presidents follow him. Van Buren is considered to be an average president, often outshone by his predecessor.
That’s it for Martin Van Buren. Tune in next week for a special double edition with William Henry Harrison AND James A. Garfield, in which we’ll see them deal with bad weather, resignations and tragic deaths.
