Martin Van Buren: The Romantic Age of American Politics

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The rich historiography of antebellum politics which has appeared in recent decades has directed attention to the role of Martin Van Buren, the first professional politician elected to the Presidency, in the emergence of the modern two-party system. But Van Buren has, until now, remained largely neglected by biographers, perhaps because of his enigmatic character as one who, as John Randolph put it, rowed to his objects with muffled oars, or possibly because of a deep-seated cultural mistrust of political parties and professional politicians. In his meticulously researched and exhaustively detailed study John Niven has redressed this omission and provided an excellent narrative of the career of a key political figure. Niven traces Van Buren's developing political career from its beginnings in the rough and tumble factional politics of New York in the early nineteenth century through his move into the national political arena in the 1 820s, his crucial role in the creation of the coalition which swept Jackson into power in 1828, his moderating role in Jackson's administration, his own accession to the Presidency and his defeat in 1840, his loss of the Democrats' nomination in 1844, his unsuccessful candidature for the Free Soil Party in 1 848, and his return to the Democrat fold in the 1 850s following his retirement from active politics. Through it all Niven weaves a balanced, sympathetic portrait of a thoroughly political individual, who, as the ablest political strategist of his generation (p.488), mastered the electoral process as none had before him. In chronicling Van Buren's career, Niven emphasises his achievements as the prime creator of the modern two-party system, as the principal agent in bringing Jackson to the Presidency and the moderating voice of balance and realism in Jackson's administration, as a President who restructured the American banking system, and as a highly successful diplomat. Rejecting the image of Van Buren as a political spoilsman devoid of principles, Niven convincingly portrays him as judicious and reflective, a careful manager rather than an intriguer, a realistic politician, sensitive to the risks of factionalism and sectionalism in the still fragile republic, who displayed statesmanship during his Presidency and after. He was deeply and consistently committed to JeffersonianRepublican ideas about society and politics, to the perpetuation of the Union, and to the idea of party organisation as the basis for a stable democracy. The strength of his commitment to principles was evident in his advocacy of an Independent Treasury and in his virtual political suicide through his opposition to the annexation of Texas. But despite its exhaustive detail, Niven's study is flawed. It is uneven in its coverage, with little attention given to its subject's youth and personal life, and only three out of thirty-two chaptes devoted to his Presidency. Inadequate attention is given to analysis of his relationship with Jackson, the 1837 Crash which destroyed his reelection hopes, and the complex background and consequences of his introduction of the Independent Treasury. These shortcomings are symptomatic of the study as a whole, for this is a traditional political biography, drawing on traditional sources, and largely eschewing analysis in favour of description. It is narrowly focused upon political leaders, factions and events. Little effort is made to explore the broader social and political context of Van Buren's ideas and actions, despite the many recent studies