President Van Buren inherited an economic crisis. President ANDREW JACKSON had adopted a "hard-money" policy. But "hard money" (i.e., gold and silver) was scarce. Most paper money was worthless. Savers and other depositors began withdrawing their money from banks. In 1837, the financial panic spread. To halt the panic, Van Buren wanted to create a federal agency to protect the value of federal funds. The agency was called the Subtreasury.
Conservatives opposed the Subtreasury. They believed the federal agency threatened the free market, states' rights, and slavery. In 1840, Van Buren won the battle. Congress established the federal agency. Federal funds were removed from state banks and deposited with the federal government. The same year, JOHN TYLER was elected president. He killed the Subtreasury in 1841.
Texas
President ANDREW JACKSON opposed bringing Texas into the Union. President Van Buren also opposed Texas statehood. He wanted to improve U.S.-Mexican relations. The controversy over Texas threatened U.S. relations with Mexico. Van Buren quietly paid cash to settle Mexico's legal claims against the United States. They dated to the Texas Republic's declaration of independence from Mexico.
Canada
In the 1830s, Canadian rebels in Ontario tried to overthrow the British colonial government. They set up a government-in-exile on Navy Island in the Niagara River. Sympathetic New Yorkers sent the Ontarians supplies aboard the U.S. steamer Caroline. The Canadian militia retaliated and sank the Caroline. President Van Buren protested the sinking to the British government. But he stayed neutral in Britain's dispute with Ontarians.
The border between Maine and New Brunswick, Canada was also in dispute. The British colonial government claimed territory near the Aroostook River. In 1839, the Maine militia attempted to force British Canadians out of the area. Van Buren negotiated a truce. The dispute was settled peacefully. (The border between Maine and New Brunswick was drawn after JOHN TYLER became president.)
Labor Reform
President Van Buren sponsored the first reform of federal labor policy. He issued a proclamation establishing a 10-hour workday for workers on federal public works projects.
The Kitchen Cabinet
President Van Buren disliked formal cabinet meetings. He followed President ANDREW JACKSON's practice of meeting with a small circle of advisers. They were called the Kitchen Cabinet. Van Buren was criticized for ignoring his cabinet. In 1831, he resumed regular cabinet meetings. But he continued to meet with his inner circle.
MARTIN VAN BUREN AND HIS TIMES
Van Buren's Inauguration
Van Buren was inaugurated in Washington, D.C. on March 4, 1837. Thousands attended the ceremony. Unfortunately, almost no one noticed Van Buren. Most people came to see President ANDREW JACKSON. One Washington insider described the inauguration this way : "For once the rising [sun] was eclipsed by the setting sun."
Jackson had refused to have an inaugural parade. Van Buren revived the tradition. But his parade was poorly attended. On the other hand, Van Buren's inauguration had a new feature. For the first time in history, there were two inaugural balls. The tickets for one ball were more expensive than those for the other ball. The new president attended the expensive ball. It was held at Carusi's in Washington.
Van Buren the Professional Politician
Van Buren was the first professional politician to be elected president. He rose through the ranks of the Democratic Party. He helped build the coalition that elected ANDREW JACKSON president. Van Buren's skills as a politician won him the nickname the "Little Magician." New York politicians who disliked him called him the "Red Fox of Kinderhook."
Unlike the earlier "gentlemen" presidents, Van Buren was not attracted to politics by a "cause." He had no career outside politics. He was a lawyer, but he began his career as a politician. He was not a diplomat or soldier. In short, Van Buren had no special training to be president. But his sharp political skills helped him win the office.
The Democratic Party
The Democratic Party was founded between 1824 and 1828. Its earliest members supported ANDREW JACKSON. They had been Republicans during THOMAS JEFFERSON's presidency. Around 1828, Jackson's supporters broke with Jefferson's party. They called themselves Democratic-Republicans. After 1836, they were simply called Democrats. But modern Democrats still claim links to Jefferson. They hold an annual Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner.
During the Civil War, many Democrats openly favored the Confederacy. Republicans accused them of treason. After the war, twenty years passed before Democrats elected another president. GROVER CLEVELAND won the presidential election in 1884. He was the first post-Civil War Democrat elected president. (ANDREW JOHNSON was never elected in his own right. Samuel Tilden was the Democratic nominee in 1876. He won the popular vote. But he lost the electoral college vote.)
In the 1930s, FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT's coalition made Democrats the majority party in the United States. For the most part, they have controlled the Congress since World War II. (The Democratic Party is called the congressional party.) But Democrats usually face stiff Republican competition in presidential races. In the postwar period, LYNDON JOHNSON is the only Democratic president who won a large election victory. Other Democratic presidents have been elected by narrow margins.
The Whig Party
The Whig Party was founded in 1834. It was formed from the National Republican Party and the Anti-Masonic Party. The National Republicans had supported JOHN QUINCY ADAMS in the 1828 election. The Anti-Masons ran their first candidate in the 1832 election.
In the North, the Whig Party was dominated by industrial interests. In the South, it was dominated by slaveholders. They were united only in disliking ANDREW JACKSON and his populist programs. After 1852, the Whig Party disappeared. Antislavery Whigs joined the Republican Party. Conservative Whigs joined the American (Know-Nothing) Party.
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON was the first Whig elected president. ZACHARY TAYLOR was the last Whig elected president. JOHN TYLER and MILLARD FILLMORE were Whig presidents. But they succeeded to the presidency after the incumbent president died.
The Van Buren National Historic Site
The Van Buren National Historic Site was Van Buren's estate. It is located in Kinderhook in Columbia County, New York. Van Buren called his mansion Lindenwald. It was built by a local politician in 1797. Van Buren purchased the property in 1839. He lived there from 1841 until he died in 1862. The estate consists of roughly 200 acres. It is administered by the U.S. National Park Service. The Van Buren site is open to the public.
