In May 1835 in Baltimore, Maryland the second national convention of the Democratic Party was held. During the yearlong process Van Buren was chosen to be president (Hoyt 105), and his campaign began.
His campaign strategy was similar to Jackson's, and continued Jackson's policies. In places like Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New York, which were Democratic strongholds, support for Van Buren was great. During this time the Whig Party came together, their main purpose was to not let Van Buren in office. They saw Van Buren as another Jackson and they despised his kingly rule. The Whigs were too unorganized to have their own convention so they came up with the idea or running three candidates against Van Buren. The Whigs nominated Daniel Webster of Massachusetts from the East, Hugh White a Tennessee Senator, and Ohio's William Henry Harrison from the West (1836 Presidential Election Results). Even with three candidates running Van Buren still got the majority of the Electoral College, and became the eighth president of the United States.
Van Buren's cabinet for his first term in office is as follows. His secretary of state was John Forsyth, secretary of the treasury was Levi Woodbury, secretary of war was Joel R. Poinsett, attorney general was Benjamin F. Butler then Felix Grundy in 1838, postmaster general was Amos Kendall, and the secretary of the navy was Mahlon Dickerson then James K. Paulding in 1838 (Cabinet Members Under Van Buren). In March 1837 the first President to be born an American citizen gave his inaugural address. The bulk of his address was devoted to appeasing between the North and South, which were so much at odds over the questions of tariff and slavery.
In March only two months after Van Buren he was thrown into a political swamp from which he couldn't not get himself out of. The Depression of 1837 showed its first signs when people began agitating against the country's paper money.
Martin Van Buren was the 8th President of the United States. ... Martin Van Buren won the Presidency. ... Martin Van Buren was a great man who suffered personal tragedies. ... Fearing that there would be bloodshed, Martin Van Buren called upon General Winfield Scott to mediate a solution. ... Van Buren had avoided a war. ...
Van Buren was too incompetent to even create his own cabinet. ... Van Buren's relationship with Congress was almost non-existent. ... Van Buren was incapable of handling challenging situations. ... The greatest failure of Van Buren's administration was the Trail of Tears. ... Van Buren was a below average president. ...
Martin Van Buren, a former Democratic president, was nominated as their candidate. Van Buren and the Free Soil Party ran their campaign in total opposition to the expansion of slavery. Although Van Buren did not carry any states, the ten percent of the total vote that he did receive was enough to ensure Taylor's victory. If Van Buren had not entered the election, the votes that he captured, particularly in New York, would have given Cass the election. ...
President Martin Van Buren was in favor of handing over the Africans to Spain. ... On February 10, 1840 the Hartford Courant published an article attacking President Martin Van Buren for his stance on the Amistad case and he stated "Martin Van Buren is playing the part of a tyrant with a high hand - else why this tampering with our courts of justice". People noticed that Martin Van Buren's interest was only for his own benefit and his stance on the Amistad case only favored him. ... The District court found the slaves innocent and Martin Van Buren, furious and worried that the...
Martin Van Buren was thought to be a common man, during the elections, his opponets attempted to slander his name, calling him the "Flying Dutchman" for he reared in poverty. ... Van Buren was a Democrat, and Democrats were seen as being the more humble of the 2 parties. ...
Martin Van Buren was the leading candidate in the 1844 presidential election and James Polk was a potential candidate for the vice presidency. The one flaw in Van Buren's platform was the opposition of the annexation of the Republic of Texas. During the Democratic convention, it became apparent the Van Buren could not win the two- thirds majority needed for nomination. ...
