ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi ˈeɪt, vˈæn bjˈʊɹɹən lˈɛd ðə bˈɑːɹnbɜːnɚz—nˈuː jˈɔːɹk dˈɛməkɹˌæts əpˈoʊzd tə ðɪ ᵻlˈɛkʃən ʌv lˈuːɪs kˈæs æz pɹˈɛzɪdənt ɔnðə ɡɹˈaʊndz ðæt hiː wʌz tˈuː fɹˈɛndli tə ðə slˈeɪvhoʊldɪŋ sˈaʊθ.
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.