Some American presidents have their faces on up-to-dateness ; some get memorialized in films and sketch . Then there are the others , whose all - but - forgotten names are unceremoniously attached to middle school and parks across the state — orforever connect toSeinfeldepisodes . Here ’s a look at some facts about the eighth U.S. chairman , Martin Van Buren .
1. HE RESIGNED AS SECRETARY OF STATE TO QUELL A MINOR SEX SCANDAL.
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Van Buren , who served as a body politic senator in New York for seven twelvemonth , campaign for Governor of New York in 1829 and helped build up support in the nation for Andrew Jackson ’s rivulet for the presidency . Van Buren ’s term as regulator lasted less than two months before Jackson appoint him Secretary of State .
stress within Jackson ’s cabinet broke out , however , when his Secretary of War , John Eaton , wed a cleaning lady of low social status who might have begun her relationship with Eaton while she was still married to her first married man . Vice President John Calhoun and his wife snubbed the Eatons socially , and Van Buren said the scandal leave the regime and Jackson ’s cabinet in the “ befoul clutch of the causerie . ”
Van Buren , a widowman , confront no reprisal for his forgivingness toward Mrs. Eaton . Still , he contrive a plan to bring peace to the judicature : he would give up , allowing Jackson to then dismiss the remainder of the cabinet and nominate new senior administration officials . President Jackson then guaranteed Van Buren a nominating speech for frailty president in the following election .
2. HE WAS THE FIRST AMERICAN-BORN PRESIDENT.
Van Buren , baptized asMaarten van Burenin Kinderhook , N.Y. in 1782 , became the first President who was born after the American Revolution . The firstvan Burenemigrated from Holland in 1633 , and Martin spoke English as a 2nd spoken communication , as his intact family and community talk Dutch .
3. WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON TROUNCED HIM IN THE 1840 ELECTION.
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In his reelection command , Van Buren gather only 60 electoral votes to military fighter Harrison ’s 234 and fail to extend his home state of New York . After the scare of 1837 , caused principally by his predecessor ’s disastrous economical policies , the U.S. was murder by a five - class Great Depression and Van Buren win only seven body politic in the next election .
4. HE OPPOSED THE ANNEXATION OF TEXAS.
Although Jackson favored bestow Texas into the American folding as he finished his term , many Yankee were leery of a “ striver - owner conspiracy ” in supply Texas , which would have been a slave nation . Van Buren blocked the annexation in 1837 , in part because of the thralldom issue but also to quash further tension with Mexico , which master the territory until 1836 . After his 1840 defeat Van Buren undertake to assure the popular nomination in 1844 , but the party switched stances and favor annexation , while he said only that he sustain the move at some next date . Van Buren did not make it onto the 1844 voting , and Texas became the 28th state in 1845 .
5. HIS NICKNAME “OLD KINDERHOOK” HELPED POPULARIZE THE EXPRESSION “OK.”
A slight 5’6 ” tall , Van Buren garnered the nicknames “ Little Magician , ” “ Sly Fox , ” and “ Red Fox of Kinderhook ” for his skills as a pol , less - than - intimidating height , and reddish - blonde hair . Not all of his monikers were so kind — Whig voice Charles Ogle landed a evil insult by tossing the cognomen “ Martin Van Ruin ” at him on the level of the House of Representatives in 1840 .
In condition of lasting impact , it ’s grueling to top “ Old Kinderhook , ” a reference to the small town of Van Buren ’s nascence in upstate New York . The term of endearment was utilize during the 1840 election by his supporters as they formed the okay Club and marched with placards distinguish fine . TheOxford English Dictionarynotes that the abbreviation came into great usage at the time and its popularity can be impute to Van Buren and his supporters .
6. HIS MASSIVE AUTOBIOGRAPHY FAILED TO MENTION HIS LATE WIFE OR HIS PRESIDENCY.
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The first published variation of Van Buren ’s autobiography come in at 776 page and cover his sprightliness through 1834 , three years before he was elected president . Though his married woman , Hanna Hoes Van Buren , a first cousin once remove , die of tuberculosis in 1819 , she was not included in the book . Van Buren also neglected to mention her in any speeches , an deletion theWhite House ’s websiteexplains off as , “ A gentleman of that twenty-four hours would not shame a madam by public reference . ” Van Buren , who died in 1862 at the age of 79 , never remarry .
7. HE INSPIRED A FAKE GANG ON SEINFELD.
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The Feb. 6 , 1997 sequence " The Van Buren Boys " was the handiwork of writerDarin Henry , who began his career as a writer ’s help on the show . The 8th season episode features a fib line where Kramer is confronted by a gang but accidentally shoot their surreptitious sign and invalidate a confrontation . The sign , eight fingers held aloft , referred to Van Buren being the eighth U.S. President , which saved Kramer from fuss .
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