Martin Van Buren

Characteristic: Under fire

Martin Van Buren came into his presidency right after Andrew Jackson shut down the national banks. The panic of 1837 began. The depression lasted for three of his four years as president. With everyone scrambling to find their loans, and not succeeding, they looked to blame the government. Since everyone loved Andrew Jackson, they blamed Van Buren, although Jackson shut down the banks.

Served: 1837-1841