Martin
Van Buren was
born in Kinderhook, New York on 5th December, 1782. A lawyer, Van
Buren was elected to the New York Senate (1812-20) and served as the
state attorney general (1816-19). A founder member of the Democratic
Party, Van Buren became a national figure when he became Secretary
of State (1829-31) and Vice President of the United States (1833-37).
Van Buren was elected president in 1837 during a financial crisis
and his decision to remove government funds from state banks to put
them in an independent treasury, lost him the support of many Democrats.
An expensive war with the Seminoles
in Florida and his policies on the proposed
annexation of Texas, also reduced his popularity.
Van
Buren also created controversy by his policy of moving Native Americans
to Indian
Reservations.
In 1835 some leaders of the Cherokee
tribe signed the Treaty of New Echota. This agreement ceded all rights
to their traditional lands to the United States. In return the tribe
was granted land in the Indian Territory.
Although the majority of the Cherokees opposed this agreement they
were forced to make the journey by General Winfield
Scott and his soldiers.
In
October 1838 about 15,000 Cherokees began what was later to be known
as the Trail
of Tears.
Most of the Cherokees travelled the 800 mile journey on foot. As a
result of serious mistakes made by the Federal agents who guided them
to their new land, they suffered from hunger and the cold weather
and an estimated 4,000 people died on the journey. The soldiers refused
permission for the Cherokee to stop and bury family members and warned
them they would be shot if they tried to do this. They were therefore
forced to carry the dead bodies until they reached that night's camp.
Van Buren claimed in Congress that: "The measures of the Removal
have had the happiest effect... the Cherokee moved without apparent
reluctance."
Although
renominated for president by the Democratic
Party in 1840, he was defeated by the Whig
Party candidate, William
Henry Harrison.
Opposed to the extension of slavery, Van Buren became presidential
candidate of the Free-Soil Party in
1848. Although he won only 10 per cent of the vote, he split the traditional
Democratic support and enabled the
Whig candidate, Zachary
Taylor,
to win.
During the American Civil War Van Buren
gave his support to Abraham Lincoln.
Martin Van Buren died on his estate in Kinderhook on 24th July,
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