1837-1841

Wife - Hannah Hoes (1783-1819)

Vice President Richard M. Johnson (1837-1841)

"For myself, therefore, I desire to declare that the principle that will govern me in the high duty to which my country calls me is a strict adherence to the letter and spirit of the Constitution as it was designed by those who framed it."
--Martin Van Buren, 1837

At a White House Dinner a servant came rushing up to Van Buren and whispered, "The house is on fire!" Excusing himself, Van Buren went out to the kitchen and helped quench the blaze. On returning, he explained why he had left. When he finished, Henry Clay looked up at him, putting his hand on his heart, said earnestly: "I am doing all I can to get you out of this house, but believe me, I do not want to burn you out."

Presidential Fact Sheet