The rise and fall of Martin Van Buren

Martin Van Buren was our eighth president and the first to be born an American citizen. But what was the polished politician with the out-there sideburns best known for? Besides creating our two-party system, how about a presidency that corresponded with the worst depression the U.S. had experienced up to that time? Correspondent Mo Rocca talks with historian Ted Widmer, whose biography aimed to make an obscure president less obscure; and visits Lindenwald, the Hudson Valley home in New York State where Van Buren spent the remainder of his life, which proved more successful than his time in the White House.

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[jamesearley]

I love learning about our former presidents. Please keep doing these segments. Mo Rocka is awesome.

[michaelhill]

Mo Rocca is really good at making history interesting.

[thudor]

He was the first to be born an American citizen but also the only one who spoke English as a second language. Wow.

[lukeoconnell]

The park ranger seems so fun... I remember getting a special solo tour of LBJ's boyhood home by a fantastic park ranger there (because no one else showed up for the tour!).

Go enjoy some of these amazing historical sites, I really recommend it

[deanmay]

Great story! Yes, keep doing stories like this on presidents. I live in Kentucky and have had the chance to visit Lincoln’s birth place in Hodgenville, KY, his boyhood home in southern Indiana (Lincoln State Park), and his presidential library in Springfield, IL. I have also been to Clinton’s boyhood home. My wife and I are avid campers (small travel trailer). I would love to plan and research camping trips that would involve visiting homes/libraries/memorials of presidents. Thanks again.

[dailynewsofficial]

Exploring historical figures like Martin Van Buren is always fascinating! His journey, from his peak as the 8th President of the United States to the challenges he faced afterward, is a testament to the unpredictability and dynamism of political life. Van Buren's era was marked by significant developments in American politics, including the formation of the Democratic Party and his efforts toward modernizing the political system. His experiences remind us of the resilience needed in public service and the impact one individual can have on the course of history. It's inspiring to delve into the lives of such figures, drawing lessons from their achievements and setbacks alike.

[TommyLawrenceJr-kxgm]

I learned he was the 8th President from watching Seinfeld 🤣🤣🤣

[ciaU]

Van Buren dined with Abraham Lincoln in his post-presidency, oh to be a fly on the wall for that conversation

[wardarcade]

They avoided mentioning that President Van Buren had married his cousin Hannah Van Hoes (1783-1819) who died at age 35 of tuberculosis after 12 years of marriage and having borne their four living sons. He would remain a widower the remaining 43 years of his life. Oddly enough, President Van Buren himself avoided mentioning her a single time in his own 900+ page autobio- though some have speculated that he may have done so because he didn't want her memory to be tarnished.

[skepticalsmurf]

many thanks for that segment… l’m a history nerd, while working as an assistant at a dental practice, l guided our patients to one of four operatories(rooms)which l jokingly named two of them the Van Buren & Filmore suites 😉

[WhittHort]

Love these segments. We need one for each president. -- Van Buren had interesting thoughts on the idea of a mass political party after serving under Jackson.

[OconByrd]

Keep it up Mo. Love your segments on presidential trivia !

[steveconn]

Hudson Valley such a pretty area. Martin invented mutton chops. No mean feat.

[kaeso]

Dude i cant be the alone one binge watching biographical reports on past US presidents..this stuff is more interesting than i thought

[davidpurrott]

I drive past this house twice and week and I have lived no further than 30 miles from it my whole life. Shame on me. I promise myself to go there this summer.

[laughitupfuzzball]

Martin Van Buren looks liked he’d be guilty of saying, “Inconceivable.”

[BudTCat]

I own the Widmer biography on MVB. I learned a lot ... which wasn't difficult because I didn't know much about President Marty to begin with.

[igorschmidlapp]

Ooh... a Van Buren/Jackson movie... with Paul Giamatti as Van Buren, and Clint Eastwood as Jackson? Maybe a buddy movie, like "My Fellow Americans", with Jack Lemmon and James Garner? ;-P

[touchofdumb]

Nice intro to Shock Chops.

Wish Mo had a longer format.

[davey]

Ranger Zach Anderson gives me the impression he's a friend of Dorothy and totally fabulous.