The Politics of Martin Van Buren
An Important Voice in Early American Party Organization
Apr 17, 2008
Martin Van Buren is perhaps not the greatest known or remembered of all American Presidents. While in memory he stands humbly in the shadows of the "giants" who preceded him; Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Adams, Jackson; the legacy he left on the politics of America is undeniable.
Though in rankings of "Greatest U.S. Presidents" he tends to fall directly into the middle of the field with surprising regularity (various rankings place him anywhere from 15th to 30th out of 43 Presidents, with an average in the low 20's), Martin Van Buren was crucial in developing the system of political parties in America which continues to this day.
Before he was President
There are a number of notable pieces of trivia regarding Van Buren's early life. He was the first U.S. President born in post-Revolutionary War America (all Presidents before him had been born British citizens) and the only President not to have been raised speaking English (his family spoke Dutch).
Raised in humble circumstances in Kinderhook, NY (hence his later nickname, "Old Kinderhook," from which the acronym and later colloquialism "O.K." supposedly originated), Van Buren went on to study law and eventually enter into politics as a Democratic-Republican during the Madison years (1808-1816).
During these years, Van Buren's political career centered around New York state, being elected to the state Senate in 1812 and forming an organized political machine called the "Bucktails" in order to oppose Governor DeWitt Clinton's proposed Erie Canal (even though Van Buren had originally aligned himself with Clinton's Democratic Republican ideals).
In many ways, Van Buren's political leanings mirror those of his predecessor, Andrew Jackson. As a "Jeffersonian," he tended to favor the "American System" of internal improvements and a protective tariff when first elected to national office, as a U.S. Senator in 1821. Like Jackson, however, his position on this issue shifted, especially in regard to the tariffs, which he began to believe should be used only for purposes of revenue.
In 1828, Van Buren resigned his Senate Seat when he was elected Governor of New York, but this position did not last long.
Alignment with Jackson
It was after the election of 1828 that Van Buren truly began his path to the White House. Named Jackson's secretary of state for his first term, he resigned his Governorship in New York and headed back to Washington, where he would work to earn Jackson's favor - siding with the President in opposing the Bank of the United States and in strong reaction to the nullification crisis, which pited Jackson against his Vice President, John C. Calhoun.
In the 1832 election, Calhoun would obviously be departing his role as Vice President, and Van Buren had perfectly aligned himself for the position.
Although many view the second term of Jackson in negative light, thanks to those policies which led directly to the panic of 1837 (under Van Buren) and the Trail of Tears (also under Van Buren), Van Buren was carried into the White House on the strength of Jackson's enduring popularity among the people, and thanks to the poorly organized opposition of the Whig party (who fielded several candidates, splitting the ticket).
Creation of the Parties
The 1932 election can be viewed as symbolic of Van Buren's political accomplishments during the previous decade. Prior to the presidency of Jackson, America had for nearly two decades been by many accounts a single-party system. From the victory of Thomas Jefferson in the election of 1800, Jeffersonian Republicans (also known as Democratic Republicans) had been practically unapposed in their endeavors (though there was infighting within the party, such as in the election of 1824 between John Quincy Adams and Jackson).
With the rise of Andrew Jackson, supported by the organizational abilities of Van Buren and others, the Democratic Republicans were effectively transformed into the Jacksonian Democrats - a far more partisan and organized party than had been seen in America. In 1828, the Democratic party held their first political convention to renominate Jackson for President.
It was as a direct result of this new partisanship among the Jacksonians which led America back to a two-party system (the first since the downfall of the Federalists). Opposition to the policies of Jackson/Van Buren led such notable politicians as Henry Clay, Daniel Webster and William Henry Harrison to form an opposition party - the Whigs.
The Whig party was so named after the party in England who opposed autocratic rule - they themselves found themselves opposed to the Democrats, so led by "King Andrew."
Martin Van Buren's role in the creation of this new system cannot be understated. While some may view America's devolving into political factions as a negative step in history, Van Buren viewed it as a necessity. Without political parties - that is, with everyone in perfect agreement - there would be no national debate, especially over issues as crucial as slavery.
Van Buren, though a slave owner himself, was for the most part morally opposed to the institution (a common paradox among leaders in those days). After leaving office with the expiration of his single term (he was the first of eight Presidents in a row to serve only a single term or less), he returned to politics only in 1844 to run for the "Free Soil Party," a third party opposed to the spread of slavery.
Remembering Van Buren
Today, Martin Van Buren is often remembered for presiding over troubled economic times (the panic of 1837), for the "Trail of Tears," which saw Indians being removed from their land, leading to the death of about 4,000 Cherokees, or for originating the term "OK," but his greatest legacy is surely the system of political parties and debate which has lasted until this day.
While his actual Presidency may have been less-than-successful, his impact on America is surely very real.
References:
"Biography of Martin Van Buren." The White House.
"Martin Van Buren." American President: An Online Reference Resource.
