Van Buren was a key advisor during Jackson 's eight years as President of the United States and he built the organizational structure for the coalescing Democratic Party , particularly in New York . He resigned from his position to help resolve the Petticoat affair , then briefly served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom . At Jackson 's behest , the 1832 Democratic National Convention nominated Van Buren for Vice President of the United States , and he took office after the Democratic ticket won the 1832 presidential election . With Jackson 's strong support , Van Buren faced little opposition for the presidential nomination at the 1835 Democratic National Convention , and he defeated several Whig opponents in the 1836 presidential election . Van Buren 's response to the Panic of 1837 centered on his Independent Treasury system , a plan under which the Federal government of the United States would store its funds in vaults rather than in banks . He also continued Jackson 's policy of Indian removal ; he maintained peaceful relations with Britain but denied the application to admit Texas to the Union , seeking to avoid heightened sectional tensions . In the 1840 election , the Whigs rallied around Harrison 's military record and ridiculed Van Buren as " Martin Van Ruin " , and a surge of new voters helped turn him out of office
1835 Democratic National Convention
1835 Democratic National Convention
Martin Van Buren