Martin Van Buren held office.
Martin Van Buren ( Maarten van Buren ; December 5 , 1782 -- July 24 , 1862 ) was an American politician who served as the eighth President of the United States ( 1837 -- 41 ) . A member of the Democratic Party , he served in a number of other senior roles , including eighth Vice President ( 1833 -- 37 ) and tenth Secretary of State ( 1829 -- 31 ) , both under Andrew Jackson . Shortly after taking office , the Panic of 1837 struck the nation , and his inability to deal effectively with the economic crisis , combined with the growing political strength of the opposition Whig Party , led to his defeat in the 1840 presidential election . Jackson and Van Buren were elected , and after serving as governor for two months , Van Buren resigned to become Jackson 's Secretary of State . Van Buren 's nomination was rejected by the Senate , cutting short his service in London , but he was elected vice president in the 1832 election .