Martin Van Buren
For Martin Van Buren I read book number 8 from The American Presidents Series published by MacMillan: Martin Van Buren by Ted Widmer.
Widmer does his best with what he’s left. Martin Van Buren chose to destroy a large amount of his personal and political correspondence, leaving us with less letters than say a John Quincy Adams and a rambling autobiography he starts in an elder age. It’s a bit of a shame because I think Van Buren’s story is the most relatable of all the presidents I’ve read about so far. Here is a man who defeated destiny.
By all accounts, he was supposed to remain an odd dutch country bumpkin in Kinderhook, New York and marry his cousin0. But by jumping through every door that became open to him he became a titan of 1800s politics. The journey was long. Lawyer’s apprentice, lawyer, state senate, war of 1812 advocate, NY Attorney General, “Bucktails” political party leader, US senator, hand-shaker, alliance-maker, and now part of Jackson’s cabinet.
Along the way he defeated people who were supposed to win politically like DeWitt Clinton and John Calhoun. Jackson chose him as his Vice President for his second term, the culmination of a carefully cultivated alliance, and Van Buren had made himself inevitable. In 1836 Van Buren reached the pinnacle of his ambition, he was president of the United States.
Only at the heights he was never supposed to reach did fate finally strike back. A teetering economy, uncontrollable without a central bank Van Buren helped kill in Jackson’s term, fell over in the wind. Re-election? Impossible.
I think Van Buren shows what’s possible without luck. And he inspires me to keep knocking at what feels like the limits of my destiny. Like Van Buren, I will not be remembered1. But to the people of my time, it’s possible to serve and be known.