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Signature of Martin Van Buren

Martin Van Buren

The autograph signature of Martin Van Buren, as it appears on official documents.

This is Van Buren's own signature, used to authenticate his letters and official documents.

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Black cursive handwritten signature on a white background reading 'M. Van Buren', with a period after the M and a long flowing underline stroke at the end.
Signature of Martin Van Buren.

About this source

What it is

This image shows the handwritten signature of Martin Van Buren, reading 'M. Van Buren' with a flowing underline stroke. It is the kind of signature he used on official papers during his career.

Why it matters

A signature is a small but direct trace of a historical figure's own hand. Comparing signatures across documents, letters, and checks can help confirm authenticity and shows how a person's handwriting might change or stay consistent across their life.

Look closer

  • What does the style of the signature suggest about handwriting conventions of the time?
  • Why do historians and archivists pay close attention to signatures on documents?
  • Compare this signature to the one on the check or letter — are they consistent?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Martin Van Buren on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Inaugural Address of Martin Van Buren

Martin Van Buren · 4 March 1837

Black and white daguerreotype portrait of an elderly man with white hair, seated and facing slightly toward the viewer, wearing a dark coat, high white collar, and dark cravat. He has a faint smile. A dark border frames the image and handwritten caption text appears along the bottom.Photograph

Primary source

Daguerreotype Portrait of Martin Van Buren

Mathew Benjamin Brady · c. 1849–1850

Oil portrait of a bald older man with reddish-gray side hair and light eyes, wearing a dark high-collared coat and white collar, against a near-black background. He faces the viewer with a slight smile.Painting

Primary source

Martin Van Buren

Henry Inman · 1837

Front cover of a dark green cloth-bound book. A gold-stamped rectangular border frames the title reading 'The Autobiography of Martin Van Buren' with the line 'Edited by John C. Fitzpatrick' beneath it.Book

Primary source

The Autobiography of Martin Van Buren

Martin Van Buren · 1854–1862 (published 1920)

Brown cloth book cover with a Library of Congress call number label reading E 420 .F88 at top left, and a white Library of Congress barcode label reading 00005023312 with a red dot at lower left.Document

Secondary source

1848 Free Soil and Liberty National Conventions

1848

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