1. Martin Van Buren
Born in Kinderhook, New York, on December 5, 1782, you would think that Martin Van Buren would be better remembered considering he has the distinction of being the first president to have been born after the American Revolution. Like many future Presidents, Van Buren trained as a lawyer before finding his way into politics after winning a seat in the New York State Senate and then being elected to the United States Senate in 1821.
After serving as the 8th Vice President of the United States to then President Andrew Jackson, who was the one who suggested he run, Van Buren would successfully defeat four opponents by securing 50.8% of the vote. Unfortunately for the new President, just weeks after he took office the financial crisis known as the Panic of 1837 would grip the nation, and the way he handled it was less than impressive.
Van Buren opposed any direct federal government intervention and cut back federal spending to maintain a balanced budget. He blamed the panic on reckless business practices and overexpansion of credit, so, refused to provide emergency relief or increase spending on public infrastructure projects to reduce unemployment.
