President Van Buren faced a serious economic depression that had been looming since he assumed office in 1837. Due to his predacessor's attack on the Bank of the United States, the economy of the United States was in shambles. The Panic of 1837 lasted for four years, completely destroying the public's faith in Van Buren's leadership. I will cover Van Buren's leadership during the Depression, the worst in history at that time, under Economic Management. To his credit, there was hardly anything Van Buren could've done to avert the economic depression. An equally serious crisis was brewing in the Niagara River Valley. A small separtist movement in Canada sought to gain independence from Britain in 1837. They soon took refuge on an island in the Niagra River. Some Americans began selling guns and supplies to them. In response, the British ordered loyal Canadian forces to attack the ship that was being used to supply the rebels. They boarded the U.S. ship, The Caroline, set it ablaze, and pushed it over Niagra Falls, killing one American. Cries erupted for a declaration for war on England. A British ship was burned in revenge. Van Buren resisted aggressive responses to the British. He sent troops to the Niagra River to prevent adventuresome Americans from attacking the British. The President declared the United States neutral in the Canadian Independence Issue. This was indeed the right thing to do. One American death was hardly worth going to war with England. We had no business in the Canadian Independence Affair, and Van Buren was right in declaring the United States neutral in the affair. Van Buren can be credited for resisting public pressure for war against England in what was a prudent response that preserved the peace.