Martin Van Buren
(December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862)
8th President of the United States
(March 4, 1837 – March 4, 1841)

nicknamed Old Kinderhook, was the eighth President of the United States. He was a key organizer of the Democratic Party, a dominant figure in the Second Party System, and the first president who was not of English, Irish, or Scottish descent. Van Buren was the first President who did not experience the Revolution firsthand. He is also the only president not to have spoken English as his first language, but rather grew up speaking Dutch.

He was the first of a series of eight presidents between Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln who served one term or less. He also was one of the central figures in developing modern political organizations. As Andrew Jackson's Secretary of State and then Vice-President, he was a key figure in building the organizational structure for Jacksonian democracy, particularly in New York State. However, as a President, his administration was largely characterized by the economic hardship of his time, the Panic of 1837. Between the bloodless Aroostook War and the Caroline Affair, relations with Britain and its colonies in Canada also proved to be strained. Whether or not these are directly his fault, Van Buren was voted out of office after four years, with a close popular vote but a rout in the electoral vote. His years out of office were among the most notable of any former President, as he played a major role in the battles over slavery, ultimately leading the split in the Democratic Party that played a critical role in the election of Lincoln.

The less government interferes with private pursuits, the better for general prosperity.