Blackwell Reference Online

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(b. Kinderhook, N.Y., 5 December 1782; d. Kinderhook, N.Y., 24 July 1862) In 1803 Van Buren opened a law office. After rising through N.Y. government, he assumed leadership of the A lbany R egency . While US senator (1821–8), he supported William C rawford for president in 1824 and Andrew J ackson in 1828. Named secretary of state in 1829, he replaced John C alhoun as Jackson's heir-apparent, in some part due to the Peggy E aton A ffair and Calhoun's vindictive blocking of his appointment as ambassador to Britain. He was vice-president (1833–7). Running as Democratic candidate for president in 1836 with Richard M. J ohnson , he won with 50.9 percent of the ballots. The panic of 1837 cost him reelection in 1840, when he polled 46.9 percent of the ballots. He lost the 1844 Democratic nomination for president to James P olk . He led the BARNBURNERs' revolt against the Albany Regency's anti-reform leaders, vigorously opposed extending slavery to the territories, and was the F ree -S oil party's nominee for president in 1848, when he received 10.1 percent of the votes, but carried no states. ... log in or subscribe to read full text