Recent from talks
John Van Buren
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
John Van Buren
John Van Buren (February 18, 1810 – October 13, 1866) was an American lawyer, official and politician. In addition to serving as a key advisor to his father, President Martin Van Buren, he was also Attorney General of New York from 1845 to 1847.
A son of Hannah (née Hoes) and Martin Van Buren, John Van Buren graduated from Yale University, studied law, and attained admission to the bar in 1830. He served as secretary of the U.S. legation when Martin Van Buren was US Minister to Britain in 1831 and 1832, after which he practiced law in Albany, New York. He returned to England from 1838 to 1839, and attended the Coronation of Queen Victoria. Van Buren served as New York's attorney general from 1845 to 1847, and was the chief prosecutor of the leaders of the Anti-Rent War.
Van Buren later practiced law in New York City, where he developed a reputation as an effective trial attorney, with his memory for details and oratorical skills making him a formidable courtroom advocate. In 1848, Van Buren led the Barnburners—New York Democrats opposed to the election of Lewis Cass as president on the grounds that he was too friendly to the slaveholding South. Van Buren persuaded his father to run as the candidate of the Barnburners and the Free Soil Party in order to defeat Cass; Martin Van Buren won enough votes in New York to enable Zachary Taylor to defeat Cass and win the presidency.
In Van Buren's later years he traveled extensively; he died aboard ship while en route from England to New York, and was buried at Albany Rural Cemetery.
He was born on February 18, 1810, in Hudson, Columbia County, New York, the second son of President Martin Van Buren and Hannah Hoes Van Buren. (Some sources list his birth date as February 10.) He graduated from Yale College in 1828, studied law with Benjamin F. Butler and Aaron Vanderpoel, and attained admission to the bar in 1830. In 1831, when Martin Van Buren was appointed U.S. Minister to Britain, John Van Buren accompanied him as secretary of the American Legation in London. Both returned in 1832 after Congress failed to confirm the appointment.
John Van Buren then opened a law practice with James McKown in Albany. Contemporaries said he had a remarkable memory and that "his success at the bar was great, but his fame as a lawyer has been dimmed by his wit and his wonderful ability as a politician." He returned to England on his own from 1838 to 1839. He had seats at Queen Victoria's coronation, attended the Queen's prorogue of Parliament, and earned the nickname "Prince John" from newspaper reporters after he danced with her at an 1838 ball.
On June 22, 1841, he married Elizabeth Vanderpoel (b. May 22, 1810), his childhood sweetheart and the niece of Aaron Vanderpoel. They had one daughter, Anna (1842–1923). Elizabeth Vanderpoel died on November 19, 1844, and Van Buren never remarried.
From 1845 to 1847, he served as New York State Attorney General, the last holder of that office elected by joint ballot of the Assembly and Senate, under the provisions of the state Constitution of 1821. In 1845, he conducted the prosecution of some leaders of the Anti-Rent War for riot, conspiracy, and robbery. The anti-renters were engaged in a long-running dispute with the heirs of Stephen Van Rensselaer, the patroon who owned their land. The tenants had lifetime leases; if they sold them, they were obligated to pay Van Rensselaer a year's rent or a quarter of the sale price. In addition, the Panic of 1837 left many in arrears on their rent. After Van Rensselaer's 1839 death, tenants withheld rent and "quarter-sale" payments in an effort to obtain favorable repayment terms. In addition, they organized to prevent sheriff's auctions of anti-renters' goods to pay the debts. Ambrose L. Jordan led the defense. At the first trial the jury was deadlocked. At the re-trial, in September 1845, Jordan insulted Van Buren; Van Buren responded by punching the fifty-six-year-old defense counsel. Jordan's swing at Van Buren also connected, while defendant Smith A. Boughton ducked to avoid the attorney's blows.
Hub AI
John Van Buren AI simulator
(@John Van Buren_simulator)
John Van Buren
John Van Buren (February 18, 1810 – October 13, 1866) was an American lawyer, official and politician. In addition to serving as a key advisor to his father, President Martin Van Buren, he was also Attorney General of New York from 1845 to 1847.
A son of Hannah (née Hoes) and Martin Van Buren, John Van Buren graduated from Yale University, studied law, and attained admission to the bar in 1830. He served as secretary of the U.S. legation when Martin Van Buren was US Minister to Britain in 1831 and 1832, after which he practiced law in Albany, New York. He returned to England from 1838 to 1839, and attended the Coronation of Queen Victoria. Van Buren served as New York's attorney general from 1845 to 1847, and was the chief prosecutor of the leaders of the Anti-Rent War.
Van Buren later practiced law in New York City, where he developed a reputation as an effective trial attorney, with his memory for details and oratorical skills making him a formidable courtroom advocate. In 1848, Van Buren led the Barnburners—New York Democrats opposed to the election of Lewis Cass as president on the grounds that he was too friendly to the slaveholding South. Van Buren persuaded his father to run as the candidate of the Barnburners and the Free Soil Party in order to defeat Cass; Martin Van Buren won enough votes in New York to enable Zachary Taylor to defeat Cass and win the presidency.
In Van Buren's later years he traveled extensively; he died aboard ship while en route from England to New York, and was buried at Albany Rural Cemetery.
He was born on February 18, 1810, in Hudson, Columbia County, New York, the second son of President Martin Van Buren and Hannah Hoes Van Buren. (Some sources list his birth date as February 10.) He graduated from Yale College in 1828, studied law with Benjamin F. Butler and Aaron Vanderpoel, and attained admission to the bar in 1830. In 1831, when Martin Van Buren was appointed U.S. Minister to Britain, John Van Buren accompanied him as secretary of the American Legation in London. Both returned in 1832 after Congress failed to confirm the appointment.
John Van Buren then opened a law practice with James McKown in Albany. Contemporaries said he had a remarkable memory and that "his success at the bar was great, but his fame as a lawyer has been dimmed by his wit and his wonderful ability as a politician." He returned to England on his own from 1838 to 1839. He had seats at Queen Victoria's coronation, attended the Queen's prorogue of Parliament, and earned the nickname "Prince John" from newspaper reporters after he danced with her at an 1838 ball.
On June 22, 1841, he married Elizabeth Vanderpoel (b. May 22, 1810), his childhood sweetheart and the niece of Aaron Vanderpoel. They had one daughter, Anna (1842–1923). Elizabeth Vanderpoel died on November 19, 1844, and Van Buren never remarried.
From 1845 to 1847, he served as New York State Attorney General, the last holder of that office elected by joint ballot of the Assembly and Senate, under the provisions of the state Constitution of 1821. In 1845, he conducted the prosecution of some leaders of the Anti-Rent War for riot, conspiracy, and robbery. The anti-renters were engaged in a long-running dispute with the heirs of Stephen Van Rensselaer, the patroon who owned their land. The tenants had lifetime leases; if they sold them, they were obligated to pay Van Rensselaer a year's rent or a quarter of the sale price. In addition, the Panic of 1837 left many in arrears on their rent. After Van Rensselaer's 1839 death, tenants withheld rent and "quarter-sale" payments in an effort to obtain favorable repayment terms. In addition, they organized to prevent sheriff's auctions of anti-renters' goods to pay the debts. Ambrose L. Jordan led the defense. At the first trial the jury was deadlocked. At the re-trial, in September 1845, Jordan insulted Van Buren; Van Buren responded by punching the fifty-six-year-old defense counsel. Jordan's swing at Van Buren also connected, while defendant Smith A. Boughton ducked to avoid the attorney's blows.
Recent media