 |
| President Martin Van Buren |
Martin Van Buren remains a mystery, maintaining his privacy by refraining from writing personal diaries or journals, and leaving behind very few personal letters. With his penchant for secrecy, he kept his thoughts to himself, often leaving both allies and adversaries inquisitive.
President Martin Van Buren didn´t utter her name in his autobiography. Hannah Van Buren! Hannah had died at the age of one month before her 36 birthday. It was a time before Martin Van Buren reach his Presidenacy. They had five sons and one daughter.
 |
| Hannah Van Buren
|
Affectionately nicknamed 'The Red Fox,' this moniker alludes not only to his hair color but also to his affinity for confidentiality.
This enigmatic nature extends to his views on enslavement. In a rare written declaration from 1819 as a New York state Bucktail, Van Buren expressed his sentiments on the matter:
"From a moral and political standpoint, slavery is considered an immoral evil."
Van Buren's statement reveals his recognition of the moral depravity and wickedness of the practice of enslavement, despite benefiting personally and professionally from it.
During his lifetime, Martin Van Buren had at least one enslaved individual, which was a relatively common practice for someone born and raised in a state that permitted slavery until 1827. Additionally, he actively employed both enslaved and free African Americans to work at Decatur House, and it is likely that he continued this practice during his time in Albany.
Was Van Buren an Enslaver?
The question of whether Martin Van Buren enslaved another person is often asked. A letter from December 1824 raises more questions than it provides answers. In this letter, Mr. A. G. Hammond writes to Van Buren about a man named Tom, who left his ownership around ten years ago and is now in Worcester, Massachusetts. Hammond asks Van Buren to specify how much he would be willing to accept in exchange for Tom. On the envelope that contained Hammond's letter, there is a note saying, "I wrote that if he could acquire him without the use of force, I would pay $50-".
Hammond mentions that Tom was previously enslaved by a person named Fosburgh and sets the year of purchase as 1810. There is no concrete evidence proving that Martin Van Buren ever purchased another person, including Tom, but the letter presents a possibility.
The lack of documentation gives rise to questions about Tom's status. However, during his time as Secretary of State under Andrew Jackson and throughout his presidency, Van Buren did rely on enslaved people for domestic service.
According to the 1830 census, four enslaved women were recorded in Van Buren's household while he resided at the Decatur House. It is likely that these women were rented out by their enslaver, a common practice during that time.
One of the four women was Charlotte "Lottie" Dupuy. Henry Clay brought Mrs. Dupuy to Washington as a member of his household staff during his time in Congress. Mrs. Dupuy refused to return to Kentucky and filed a lawsuit seeking emancipation. She lived and worked in Van Buren's household during the legal proceedings. Unfortunately, Mrs. Dupuy lost her case and remained enslaved until 1840, when Clay emancipated her and her daughter.
The 1840 census indicates that four enslaved individuals were employed as White House staff, consisting of two men and two women. Historians have suggested that these individuals may have been connected to Van Buren's daughter-in-law's family, the Singletons. The Singletons were one of the wealthiest plantation owners in South Carolina at the time of Angelica Singleton's marriage to Van Buren's son, Abraham.
During President Van Buren's tenure, the Slave Trail of Tears emerged as a poignant symbol of the arduous journey endured by chained and roped slave coffles. These coffles, comprising a multitude of men, women, and children, were forcibly marched from Virginia to Mississippi and Louisiana, sold by plantation owners to stringers who, in turn, auctioned them off to cotton and sugar plantation owners. This distressing
migration of approximately 450,000 enslaved people occurred between 1810 and 1860. Notorious for their cruelty, Franklin and Armfield of Alexandria, Virginia, held these coffles captive in primitive animal-style pens, located in close proximity to Washington, D.C. Solomon Northrup, whose harrowing experiences are chronicled in "12 Years a Slave," vividly described these pens as being "within the very shadow of the Capitol." Although President Van Buren frequently embarked on horseback excursions throughout the city, the extent of his awareness of these pens remains uncertain.
Another event during Van Buren's presidency, known as the Amistad case, serves as a prime example of his earnest endeavor to placate pro-slavery southerners. This case involved a Cuban ship that illegally captured Africans who valiantly emancipated themselves at sea. After drifting to Long Island, the ship was directed by the U.S. Navy to Connecticut, where those on board were detained and subjected to charges of piracy and murder. With the support of abolitionists, however, the Africans triumphed in court
Seeking favor with Spain and pro-slavery southern voters, President Van Buren's administration twice attempted to intervene in the Amistad case through appeals. The Supreme Court eventually heard the case, with John Quincy Adams serving as the legal counsel for the Africans. Ultimately, the court ruled in favor of the Africans, albeit after Van Buren's departure from office. This ruling not only spawned doubts among southerners regarding Van Buren's political prowess but also provided a vindication for their choice of William Henry Harrison as America's ninth president.
Van Buren's Constitutional Approach to Slavery: Enhancing Engagements
Martin Van Buren, a lifelong Jeffersonian, proudly proclaimed himself to be the "last vestige of true Jeffersonians," regardless of the political party he belonged to. Van Buren's interpretation of the Constitution was deeply influenced by Jeffersonian beliefs, which also extended to issues surrounding slavery. He came to the realization that the framers and ratifiers of the Federal Constitution did not intend for the African race to be included within the definition of "citizen."
The Free-Soil Campaign was a captivating movement!
The presidency of Van Buren only lasted for one term. He made an attempt at re-election in 1844 but lost the support of the Democratic Party when he refused to agree to the Annexation of Texas. His refusal was based on the fear that it would result in war with Mexico and the expansion of slavery into new western territories and states. He believed that such expansion would eventually divide the country.
After his defeat in the 1844 election, the former president returned to Kinderhook. He embraced retirement as a gentleman farmer, completely foregoing any further campaigning until the emergence of the Free Soil Party compelled him to consider a fourth presidential bid.
John Van Buren, the second son of Van Buren, became involved in New York state politics and was one of the founders of the Free-Soil Party. This party was an interesting blend of various political ideologies. It comprised abolitionists who were previously part of the now-defunct Liberty Party, Whigs like Charles Sumner from Massachusetts, who were advocating for abolition, and Democrats who either supported or were indifferent about slavery where it already existed. Despite their differences, they all shared a common goal of preventing the expansion of slavery towards the West.
Van Buren, much like Jefferson, held the belief that the federal government had no right to meddle in a state's decisions, particularly regarding the institution of slavery. However, he made an exception when it came to new states and territories, prioritizing the preservation of the Union over states' rights. As a result, he opted to run as a third-party candidate against the Whigs and Democratic party.
He was unsuccessful in the 1848 election and withdrew from active political involvement. The Free-Soil Party remained intact until 1854 when the Republican Party was established.
The election disrupted the stability of this nation. Henry Clay, together with other individuals, assembled a solution to appease pro-slavery southerners. However, within the Compromise of 1850, included the Fugitive Slave Act, which authorized bounty hunters to return self-emancipated individuals to their enslavers. It also required any nearby person to assist the bounty hunter or face fines and potential imprisonment. The act compelled many who were indifferent to bondage to take a stance. The anger and division sparked by this act became the catalyst that propelled America into a Civil War eleven years later, claiming the lives of over 750,000 citizens, but ultimately ending enslavement in this nation.
A Nation Divided
Martin Van Buren dedicated his whole career to preventing the division of the country over slavery, but sadly, his worst fears were realized. As he lay on his deathbed, he knew he wouldn't live to see the resolution of the conflict. He passed away at his cherished home, Lindenwald, on July 24, 1862, during the peak of the American Civil War.
The Civil War had two significant outcomes: the permanent abolition of slavery in America and the commencement of Reconstruction. From 1865 to 1877, Reconstruction was in effect, concluding with a swift agreement that withdrew troops from the south. Unfortunately, this led to the era of Jim Crow, an unjust period characterized by discriminatory laws and practices. According to the Tuskegee Institute, this oppressive era resulted in the lynching of approximately 4,743 Southern Blacks and 1,297 Whites between 1882 and 1968.
Van Buren's Legacy: It Remains Captiviating Even To This Day!
Martin Van Buren had aspirations beyond his career, with his home and farm meant to be his lasting legacy. However, the legacy took a different turn when his son John sold Lindenwald two years after Martin's death. Looking through a modern perspective, his political life becomes the central focus of his legacy, including the decisions he made regarding enslavement and appeasing the southern states.
The founding fathers of America entrusted the issue of slavery to Martin's generation. They aimed to maintain the status quo of slavery for the preservation of the Union. Eventually, the succeeding generation put an end to slavery through the Civil War.
Following the Civil War, those who were freed had to confront 150 years of Jim Crow laws. Their struggle for civil rights led to the resolution of this issue by subsequent generations.
Enslavement must be acknowledged and accounted for. Only then can the wounds inflicted by previous generations begin to heal, and the existing divisions start to unite!
Unite, Unite, can we say we have the power to unite? It is year 2023! This was back in the Civil War! Unite!
Can you buy me a cup of coffee?
If you would like a cup of coffee for free? Just sign below and I will get you one!
