A self-absorbed dandy, Van Buren never knew how to recover from the Panic of 1837.

A boring failure as a president, Van Buren was nevertheless a highly intelligent and capable man.  He pioneered modern presidential politics under Jackson (before Van Buren, presdiential races had been contests between aristocratic Virginians and Yankee lawyers, attracting limited popular interest).  Given the Congressional reaction to Andy Jackson's power-grab, and the economic chaos that followed his populist economic policies, Van Buren's presidency was doomed from the start.  Still, VB seemed to be more skilled at operating behind the scenes than in the spotlight, and had made a lot of enemies during his career as Jackson's right-hand man.  Van Buren would  probably not have been a successful president, even under more favorable circumstances (economic expansion and a friendly Congress).

Yawn! He had potential but the Panic of 1837 nailed him at the beginning of his term and he never recovered. William Henry Harrison had a brilliant campaign as well. It was almost modern in the amount of lies it spread around.

Founded the Democratic Party (historians wrongly point to Jefferson as the first Democratic president) and helped Jackson become the first Democratic president. He had zero noteworthy accomplishments in office.

By the time he came into office he was phyco, he sent thousands of native Americans to their death and imprisoment, and at parties he told friends that his wife was in a different room when she had been dead for years.

He tried his best. That's all anyone can ask.

First president from New York.

3stars for the best sideburns ever

he screwwed up big and raped small girls( according to ther daily star)

Much better then dubya.

Martin Van Buren had served as Andrew Jackson's Vice President four years prior to his election to the Presidency. He came into office making it very clear that he planned to continue the policies of Jackson. He did not take a decisive position on slavery, merely stating that it was a states' rights issue. By the time that Van Buren assumed office, the country had fallen into a deep recession due to Andrew Jackson's disastorous financial policies. Inflation was extremely high. Two months into his Presidency, the roof fell in, and the Panic of 1837 brought the longest and most significant economic depression in the nation's history at that time. Van Buren did little to respond to the crisis until 1840, when he introduced a weak plan for the establishment of an independent treasury system. By this time, the economy was in shambles as were Van Buren's chances of re-election. Van Buren also shadowed Jackson's policies with his continued enforcement of the Indian Removal Act, which went on throughout his entire administration. Van Buren opposed the admission of statehood for Texas, also costing him many votes in the south. Meanwhile, a small revolution was occuring in Canada. A small group of separatists sought to break off from Britain. American settlers in the Niagra River region began selling guns and supplies to the rebels, leading the British to attack an American ship, killing one American. The country swept with anti-British sentiments, but Van Buren, never confrontational, sent troops to the region to keep AMERICANS from aiding the rebels and declared the United States neutral in the Canadian independence affair. In the final anaylisis, The Van Buren Administration basically served as a continuence of the Jackson Administration. His handling of the Canadian Independence Affair was seen by many Americans as weak rather than prudent. I think had Van Buren stepped out of Jackson's shadow and set his own clear agenda for the country, he would have faired better and possibly been elected again in 1840. "The people under our system, like the king in a monarchy, never dies."-- Martin Van Buren, 8th President of the United States.

Was probably better as Jacksons right-hand man than as President.

Yeah, Martin Van Halen really rocks. I never liked that Valerie chick or David Lee Roth, ya know. Oh, maybe I'm in the wrong section, sorry.

Good for you, great-great-great-great-great-uncle (and I'm not kidding about that, he's my direct relation!) for standing up to the dumb a**es who complained about your money-spending just because we were in the middle of a depression! Stop blaming poor Martin for it, it wasn't his fault! He just became president at the wrong time. If he had defeated WHH, he probably would have been a sensation! Too many "if"s!

Nothing worthwhile here.

Cool last name. Why aren't there more Vans today? Where did they go?