Part II: 1822-1836
A chronology of key events in the life of Martin Van Buren (1782-1862) from his experience in the U.S. Senate in 1822 to his presidential election in 1836.
Timeline
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1822, Feb. 12
As a newly elected member of Congress, delivered his first speech in the U.S. Senate.
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1822, May
Supported the Cumberland Road Bill, which was vetoed by President James Monroe. Van Buren later opposed federal internal improvement appropriation measures that lacked state consent or state control of funds.
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1823, Jan.
Became chair of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.
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1823-1824
Disappointed in hopes for an appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court, supported the 1824 presidential ambitions of Secretary of the Treasury William H. Crawford (1772-1834) of Georgia, who became stricken with paralysis. Smith Thompson was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
A foot-race [The presidential race of 1824]. David Claypoole Johnston. Boston, 1824. Etching featuring John Quincy Adams, William Crawford, Andrew Jackson, and Henry Clay. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. -
1824, May
Visited Thomas Jefferson at Monticello.
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1824, Nov.
DeWitt Clinton elected governor of New York and the Bucktails relinquished control of the New York Assembly.
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1824, Nov.-Dec.
In the tally for the Presidential race, Andrew Jackson won 99 electoral votes, John Quincy Adams 83, William H. Crawford 41, and Henry Clay 37. In keeping with the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. House of Representatives selected the next president from the top three candidates.
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1825, Feb. 9
John Quincy Adams selected as the 6th U.S. President by the U.S. House of Representatives. John C. Calhoun became Vice President. Fourth-place finisher Henry Clay was a major player in the vote.
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1825, Mar.
Henry Clay was confirmed as U.S. Secretary of State in the Adams administration. Van Buren supported Clay in the confirmation. Andrew Jackson, who won both the electoral and popular votes in the presidential election, but not a majority, was livid at the apparent behind-the-scenes arrangement that tipped the scale to Adams and advanced Clay to a cabinet position.
Erie Canal (New York) Lock. Plan, sections, and elevation. Orlando M. Poe, c. 1852. Prints & Photographs Division, Library of Congress. -
1825, Oct.
Erie Canal opened between Albany and Lake Erie, linking New York City and the eastern seaboard to the Great Lakes and stimulating settlement in western New York.
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1826, July 4
Former presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Adams (father of the sitting president) both died on the anniversary of America’s declaration of independence from Britain, which they were instrumental in forging.
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1827
Worked hard to build alliances in the Republican Party and create a North-South axis of support for Andrew Jackson in the next presidential bid. The Democratic-Republican political alliance gave rise to what became the Democratic Party.
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1827, Nov.
Reelected to the U.S. Senate by majorities of the New York legislature, in an environment of opposition to the Adams presidential administration.
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1828, Feb. 11
Political rival Governor DeWitt Clinton died. Van Buren was encouraged to run to replace him.
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1828, Nov. 4
Elected Governor of New York. In the presidential election, Andrew Jackson topped his arch-rival John Quincy Adams, 20 to 16, in the New York electoral vote, and denied the latter’s bid for a second term in office.
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1829, Jan. 1
Resigned from the U.S. Senate and inaugurated as Governor of New York.
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1829, Feb. 15
As anticipated, Andrew Jackson officially invited Van Buren to be the next U.S. Secretary of State.
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1829, Mar. 6
Became U.S. Secretary of State in the administration of President Andrew Jackson.
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1829, April
Assumed duties in the official cabinet and also became part of Jackson’s unofficial circle of informal advisors, dubbed the “Kitchen Cabinet.”
The government. No. 1 [Eye] take the responsibility. [A satire on Andrew Jackson’s “Kitchen Cabinet”]. David Claypoole Johnston. 1834. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. -
1829, May
Backed President Jackson in the controversy riling the White House cabinet, by showing hospitality and respect to Margaret “Peggy” Eaton, the socially shunned recent widow and new wife of Secretary of War John H. Eaton. Jackson was sensitive to parallels between the repudiation of Eaton and the gossip and criticism faced by his wife Rachel over the status of her divorce from her first husband and their early relationship—defamation he believed contributed to Rachel’s death from heart failure shortly before he assumed office.
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1829, Dec.
President Andrew Jackson questioned the constitutionality of the Bank of the United States in his Annual Message to Congress.
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1830, May
Negotiated treaty with Turkey, winning American access to the Black Sea for shipping.
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1830
Jefferson Day dinner exposed the rift between President Andrew Jackson and Vice President John C. Calhoun over sectional differences, with Van Buren playing a conciliatory role.
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1830, May 27
Drafted President Andrew Jackson’s Maysville Road veto message, in political opposition to Henry Clay’s promotion of internal improvements.
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1830, Oct.
Treaty with Great Britain reopened trade with the West Indies.
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1831, May 23
Resigned as secretary of state in order to help Andrew Jackson in his sweep of his cabinet.
The rats leaving a falling house [Secretary of War John H. Eaton, Secretary of the Navy John Branch, Secretary of State Martin Van Buren, and Treasury Secretary Samuel D. Ingham leaving their cabinet positions]. Lithograph, unattributed, similar to rendering by Edward W. Clay. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. -
1831, June
Nominated by President Andrew Jackson as U.S. envoy and minister to Great Britain. Pending approval of the appointment by the U.S. Senate, Van Buren went to London.
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1832, Jan. 25
Vice President John C. Calhoun blocked the Senate approval of Van Buren’s nomination as minister to England.
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1832, May
Democratic National Convention in Baltimore selected Van Buren as vice president to run with Andrew Jackson in Jackson’s re-election bid.
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1832, July 10
President Andrew Jackson vetoed the bill to recharter the Bank of the United States.
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1832, Nov. 6
President Andrew Jackson and Vice President Martin Van Buren elected to office in a landslide vote favoring Jackson’s second term.
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1833, Nov.
Former Van Buren law partner and political colleague Benjamin Franklin Butler became Attorney General in the second term of the Jackson administration.
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1833, Mar. 4
Sworn in as Vice President of the U.S.
Hon. Martin Van Buren, Vice President of the United States. Unattributed, c. Nov. 14, 1835. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. LC-DIG-pga-01173 -
1833
With President Andrew Jackson, toured the Northeast.
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1835, Jan. 30
Failed assassination attempt against President Jackson led other members of the administration to take extra precautions.
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1835, May
As Jackson’s hand-picked successor, nominated to run for president at the Democratic National Convention in Baltimore.
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1836, Feb.-Mar.
Battle of the Alamo took place in Texas.
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1836, Mar. 2
Texas declared independence from Mexico.
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1836, Apr.
Defeat of Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto.
Houston, Santa Anna, and Cos [American general Sam Houston, Mexican commander Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, and his brother-in-law General Martin Perfecto de Cos, depicted in an imaginary scene following surrender at San Jacinto]. Henry R. Robinson. New York, 1836. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. -
1836, Nov.-Dec.
Elected president of the United States. Won both the electoral and popular votes and succeeded his mentor Andrew Jackson. He defeated William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) of Ohio, a Whig and veteran of the War of 1812.