Skip to main content

Primary sourceBook1845

The Claims of Martin Van Buren to the Presidency Fairly Presented

1845

A Whig campaign pamphlet from 1845 that surveys Martin Van Buren's political career, written during his lifetime.

Shows how Van Buren's political record was argued over in print during his lifetime, years after his presidency.

Ask Martin Van Buren about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Dark blue cloth book cover with a small beige label in the upper left reading E 387 C 58, and a larger handwritten paper label in the center reading 'Claims of Martin Van Buren to the presidency fairly presented, in a sketch of the chief political transactions of his life.'
The Claims of Martin Van Buren to the Presidency Fairly Presented, 1845. Library catalogue subjects: Van Buren, Martin, 1782-1862; Campaign literature, 1845, Whig.

About this source

What it is

This is a pamphlet from 1845 whose handwritten label reads: Claims of Martin Van Buren to the presidency fairly presented, in a sketch of the chief political transactions of his life. The library record classes it as Whig campaign literature from 1845 and lists Van Buren as its subject. The image shows a dark blue cloth cover with a small beige call number label, E 387 C 58, and the paper label in the center. The text inside is not shown.

Why it matters

The pamphlet tries to present Van Buren's career in a way that supports a political argument. Because it was written during his lifetime, it reflects how his rivals and supporters judged his record. It also shows that political debate about him continued after he left the presidency.

Look closer

  • What does the label promise to show about Van Buren's career, and what would a fair presentation require?
  • Why would a pamphlet about a former president be printed in 1845?
  • Which parts of his life might a campaign sketch choose to emphasize or leave out?

This book 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.

More Martin Van Buren sources

Meet the AI Martin Van Buren →
Speech

Primary source

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

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Martin Van Buren now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions