<P> 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 . He was the first president to be born a United States citizen . Of Dutch ancestry , he is the only president who spoke English as a second language . As president , Van Buren was blamed for the depression of 1837 ; hostile newspapers called him `` Martin Van Ruin '' . He attempted to cure the economic problems by keeping control of federal funds in an independent treasury , rather than in state banks , but Congress would not approve of this until 1840 . In foreign affairs , he denied the application of Texas for admission to the Union , unwilling to upset the balance of free and slave states in the Missouri Compromise , and hoping to avoid war with Mexico over Texas annexation . Additionally , relations with Britain and its colonies in Canada proved to be strained from the bloodless Aroostook War and the Caroline Affair . In the 1840 election , Van Buren was voted out of office , losing to Whig candidate William Henry Harrison . </P>
<P> 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 . He was the first president to be born a United States citizen . Of Dutch ancestry , he is the only president who spoke English as a second language . As president , Van Buren was blamed for the depression of 1837 ; hostile newspapers called him `` Martin Van Ruin '' . He attempted to cure the economic problems by keeping control of federal funds in an independent treasury , rather than in state banks , but Congress would not approve of this until 1840 . In foreign affairs , he denied the application of Texas for admission to the Union , unwilling to upset the balance of free and slave states in the Missouri Compromise , and hoping to avoid war with Mexico over Texas annexation . Additionally , relations with Britain and its colonies in Canada proved to be strained from the bloodless Aroostook War and the Caroline Affair . In the 1840 election , Van Buren was voted out of office , losing to Whig candidate William Henry Harrison . </P>
who was the first us president born in america
who was the first us president born in america
Van Buren
Van Buren