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President: Martin Van Buren
Wife: Hannah Hoes (1783-1819), on February 21,
1807
Kids:
Abraham Van Buren (1807-73); John Van Buren (1810-66);
Martin Van Buren (1812-55); Smith Thompson Van Buren
(1817-76)
Pets: two tiger cubs
Bio: Martin Van Buren, (1782-1862), was the 8th
President Of The United States. Born to a tavern keeper
in Kinderhook, N.Y., on Dec. 5, 1782, he began to study
law at 14, and was admitted to the bar at the young
age of 21. In 1807, he married his distant cousin Hannah
Hoes. Unfortunately she died young in 1819, after bearing
four sons.
Van Buren's first political office was that of surrogate,
which he held until election to the state senate in
1812. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1821, where he earned
the nickname "Little Van" because he was a
short and plump man at only 5’6". Reelected
to the Senate in 1827, Van Buren became the leader of
an anti-Adams coalition, and supported the candidacy
of Andrew Jackson. He was appointed to secretary of
state in Jackson's cabinet, but in Jackson’s second
term became his vice-president. The natural next step
for him was the presidency in 1836.
As president, his challenges were mainly problems with
the economy. Within weeks of his inauguration the Panic
of 1837 struck, with disastrous results for the national
economy and the revenues of the federal government.
Many politicians were very unhappy with the way he handled
the situation. In addition, he ignored the popular opinion
that Texas should be annexed. He was defeated in the
next election by the Whig party candidate, Harrison.
Not one to give up easily, Van Buren attempted to be
nominated for the 1844 election, but Polk won out. After
spending several years in Europe, Van Buren retired
in 1855 to Lindenwald, his home in Kinderhook, where
he died on July 24, 1862.
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