Martin Van Buren carried on with the policies begun by his predecessor, President Andrew Jackson.

The major accomplishments and the famous, main events that occurred during the time that Martin Van Buren was president included the Panic of 1837, the Neutrality Law of 1838, the tragic events of the Trail of Tears (1838) and the Amistad incident (1839). Communications leapt forward in this period with the invention of the telegraph by Samuel Morse. Martin Van Buren died  of asthmatic suffocation on July 24, 1862, aged 79. The next president was William Harrison. 

Birthday: December 5, 1782

Place of Birth: New York

Political Party: Democratic 

Nickname: Red Fox of Kinderhook

Number: 8th President

Vice President: Richard M. Johnson

Age at Inauguration: 54

Height: 5 feet 6 inches

Weight: 164 pounds

First Lady: Angelica Van Buren

Religion: Dutch Reformed

Date of Death: July 24, 1862

Date of Martin Van Buren Presidency: March 4, 1837 to March 4, 1841

The Nickname of Martin Van Buren: Red Fox of Kinderhook
The nickname of President Martin Van Buren provides an insight into how the man was viewed by the American public during his presidency. The meaning of the Martin Van Buren nickname "Red Fox of Kinderhook" refers to his Dutch heritage his reputation as a wily, cunning politician. Kinderhook referred to his hometown in New York and "Red Fox" is in reference to his his red-colored whiskers.

Character and Personality Type of Martin Van Buren
The character traits of President Martin Van Buren can be described as outgoing, charming, bright, optimistic, courteous and as cunning as a fox. It has been speculated that the Myers-Briggs personality type for Martin Van Buren is an INFJ (introversion, intuition, feeling, judging). A congenial but quiet leader with a intuitive, complex and confident character and a strong goal to better the lives of others. Martin Van Buren Personality type: conscientious, perceptive, creative and a perfectionist.

Accomplishments of Martin Van Buren and the Famous Events during his Presidency
The accomplishments of Martin Van Buren and the most famous events during his presidency are provided in an interesting, short summary format detailed below.

Panic of 1837
Summary of the Panic of 1837: The Panic of 1837 occured during the presidency of Martin Van Buren but were largely due to changes in the banking system initiated by President Jackson and his Specie Circular that effectively dried up credit. President Martin Van Buren was blamed for the Panic of 1837 and his proposals for amending the banking system  met with strong opposition by the Whigs, led by Henry Clay, who had previously introduced the economic plan called the 'American System'.  

Aroostook War
Summary of the Aroostook War: The Aroostook War was a bloodless border conflict  between Maine and the province of New Brunswick, from February to May, 1839, who both claimed rich timber land in the highlands area known as Aroostook. The Maine-New Brunswick boundary was later settled by the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842 during the presidency of John Tyler.

The Trail of Tears
Summary of the Trail of Tears: The infamous event known as the Trail of Tears began during the presidency of Martin Van Buren. Trail of Tears involved the 1000 mile march during the forced relocation of the Five Civilized Tribes consisting of the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Seminole and Chickasaw people. The tribes were forced to travel, from their homelands in the Southeastern United States to reservations in present day Oklahoma, as a result of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 that had been enacted during the presidency of Andrew Jackson.

The Amistad Slave Ship
Summary of the Amistad Slave Ship: The Amistad Slave Ship  involved a rebellion of 53 Africans who had been abducted from Sierra Leone by Spanish slavers to be shipped as slaves to Cuba. The slaves  seized control of the ship and ordered the navigator to sail for Africa but the Amistad was intercepted two months later off New York on 26 August 1839. The Amistad Case was later fought by John Quincy Adams and the 35 survivors of the rebellion were allowed to return to Sierra Leone in 1842.

Samuel Morse and the First Telegraph
Summary of Samuel Morse and the First Telegraph: During the presidency of Martin Van Buren a new invention revolutionized communication in the US. Samuel Morse and the First Telegraph were developed and patented in the United States in 1837. Morse demonstrated his invention by sending telegraph messages between the Senate and House.