Presidential Biographies | Van Buren Administration - The Van Buren Administration Legacy

The Van Buren Administration Legacy

After being voted out of office in 1840, Van Buren distinguished himself with his graciousness. He paid a personal visit to his Whig successor, William Henry Harrison, at Harrison's Washington hotel, and invited him to be the guest of honor at one of Van Buren's renowned dinner parties. Van Buren also offered to vacate the presidential mansion early, in order to allow Harrison and his family to move in before inauguration day.

Because of Van Buren's insistence on maintaining peace, Harrison and the Whigs were handed the leadership of a nation that was not involved in a foreign war. But Harrison and the Whigs also inherited an institution they loathed: Van Buren's Independent Treasury. They promptly dismantled it in 1841, but by this time the economy was on the mend and the Whigs could not convincingly claim credit for overcoming the crisis. It was also up to Harrison's administration—which...