The first president born after America's independence ushers in a new era of no-holds-barred democracy The first "professional politician" to become president, the slick and dandyish Martin Van Buren was to all appearances the opposite of his predecessor, the rugged general and Democr...

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Bibliographische Detailangaben

1. Verfasser:	Widmer, Ted (VerfasserIn)
Format:	Buch
Sprache:	English
Veröffentlicht:	New York Times Books 2005
Ausgabe:	1. ed.
Schriftenreihe:	The American president series
Schlagworte:	Van Buren, Martin > 1782-1862 USA > Präsident Geschichte 1837-1862 Politik Presidents > United States > Biography USA United States > Politics and government > 1837-1841 Biografie
Online-Zugang:	Contributor biographical information Publisher description
Zusammenfassung:	The first president born after America's independence ushers in a new era of no-holds-barred democracy The first "professional politician" to become president, the slick and dandyish Martin Van Buren was to all appearances the opposite of his predecessor, the rugged general and Democratic champion Andrew Jackson. Van Buren, a native Dutch speaker, was America's first ethnic president as well as the first New Yorker to hold the office, at a time when Manhattan was bursting with new arrivals. A sharp and adroit political operator, he established himself as a powerhouse in New York, becoming a U.S. senator, secretary of state, and vice president under Jackson, whose election he managed. His ascendancy to the Oval Office was virtually a foregone conclusion. Once he had the reins of power, however, Van Buren found the road quite a bit rougher. His attempts to find a middle ground on the most pressing issues of his day-such as the growing regional conflict over slavery-eroded his effectiveness. But it was his inability to prevent the great banking panic of 1837, and the ensuing depression, that all but ensured his fall from grace and made him the third president to be denied a second term. His many years of outfoxing his opponents finally caught up with him. Ted Widmer, a veteran of the Clinton White House, vividly brings to life the chaos and contention that plagued Van Buren's presidency-and ultimately offered an early lesson in the power of democracy. A portrait of the mid-nineteenth-century president considers his roles as the first president born after American independence, the first ethnic president, and the first New Yorker to hold the office, describing his failed efforts to control such issues as slavery and the great banking panic of 1837.
Beschreibung:	Includes bibliographical references and index
Beschreibung:	189 S.
ISBN:	0805069224 9780805069228