Martin Van Buren (1782-1862) was an American politician. He was the eighth president of the United States from 1837 to 1841.
Van Buren was from 1803 a lawyer, from 1821 to 1828 a senator and in 1829 became governor of the state of New York, where he contributed to the formation of the Democratic Party. In 1829-1831 he was secretary of state, in 1833-1837 vice president under Andrew Jackson, and in 1837 he became president.
Van Buren ran again in the election in 1840, but lost, i.a. as a result of dissatisfaction with the government’s economic policy during the crisis of 1837; and when he opposed annexation of Texas, it cost him the nomination as the Democratic candidate in 1844. In the 1840s Van Buren worked against the extension of slavery and in 1848 ran unsuccessfully for the Free Soil party. Todays 8 cent stamp was issued in 1930. CV is less than a $.