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Secondary sourceBook1835

The Life and Political Opinions of Martin Van Buren

William M. Holland · 1835

An 1835 campaign biography of Van Buren, written while he was vice president, laying out his political opinions and career.

A campaign biography published while Van Buren was vice president, meant to present his political opinions to the public.

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The Life and Political Opinions of Martin Van BurenPDF · 402 pages
William M. Holland, The Life and Political Opinions of Martin Van Buren, 1835.

About this source

What it is

This is a book published in 1835 by William M. Holland, titled The Life and Political Opinions of Martin Van Buren. It was written while Van Buren served as vice president, before his run for the presidency. The surviving copy is a scanned volume held in a library collection.

Why it matters

Campaign biographies like this were common in the 19th century, written to introduce a rising politician to the public and shape how voters saw him. The preface says the author wanted to show Van Buren's rise from ordinary life to high office, and to lay out his political principles for public curiosity.

Look closer

  • Why might a biography written to support a politician's rise differ from one written after his death?
  • What does the preface tell us about why the author wrote the book?
  • What kinds of details might be left out of a book meant to build public support?

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.

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