Martin Van Buren

Martin Van Buren, a masterful New York political organizer nicknamed the 'Little Magician,' helped build the modern Democratic Party before succeeding Jackson in 1837.

Barely into his term, the Panic of 1837 plunged the country into a severe depression that lasted years. Van Buren's response—an independent treasury system to separate government funds from private banks—was cautious and offered little immediate relief. Blamed for the hard times, he lost his 1840 re-election bid to William Henry Harrison.

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