History of the United States

MAR

CHAPTER LIII.

VAN BUREN'S ADMINISTRATION, 1837–1841.

ARTIN VAN BUREN, eighth President, was born at Kinderhook, New York, on the 5th of December, 1782. After receiving a limited education he became a student of law. In 1821 he was chosen United States senator. Seven years afterward, he was elected governor of New York, and was then appointed minister to England. From that important mission he returned to accept the office of Vice-President.

2. One of the first duties of the new administration was to finish the Seminole War. In 1837 the command of the army in Florida was transferred to General Jessup. In the fall, Osceola came to the American camp with a flag of truce; but he was suspected of treachery, seized, and sent a prisoner to Fort Moultrie, where he died. The Seminoles, however, continued the war. December Colonel Zachary Taylor, with a thousand men, marched into the Everglades of Florida, and overtook the savages near Lake Okeechobee. A hard battle was fought, and the Indians were defeated. For more than a year, Taylor continued to hunt them through the swamps. In 1839 the chiefs signed a treaty; but their removal to the West was made with much delay.

3. In 1837 the country was afflicted with a serious monetary panic. The preceding years had been a time of great prosperity. A surplus of nearly forty million dollars, in the national treasury, had been distributed among the States. Owing to the abundance of money, the credit system was greatly extended. The banks of the country were multiplied to seven hundred. Vast issues of irredeemable paper money increased the opportunities for fraud. 4. The bills of these unsound banks were receivable for the

public lands. Seeing that the government was likely to be defrauded out of millions, President Jackson issued an order, called THE SPECIE CIRCULAR, by which the land-agents were directed to receive nothing but coin in payment for the lands. The effects of this circular followed in the first year of Van Buren's administration. The banks suspended specie payment. In the spring of 1837, the failures in New York and New Orleans amounted to a hundred and fifty million dollars.

5. When Congress convened in the following September, a bill authorizing the issue of ten millions of dollars in treasury notes was passed as a temporary expedient. More important by far was the measure proposed by the President under the name of THE INDEPENDENT TREASURY BILL, by which the public funds were to be kept in a treasury established for that special purpose. It was the President's plan thus to separate the business of the United States from the general business of the country.

6. The Independent Treasury Bill was at first defeated in the House of Representatives. But in the following regular session of Congress the bill was again brought forward and adopted. During the year 1838, the banks resumed specie payments. But trade was less vigorous than before. Discontent prevailed; and the administration was blamed with everything.

7. In the latter part of 1837, a portion of the people of Canada broke out in revolt and attempted to establish their independence. The insurgents found sympathy in the United States. Seven hundred men from New York, taking arms, seized and fortified Navy Island, in the Niagara River. The loyalists of Canada, however, succeeded in firing the Caroline, the supply-ship of the adventurers, cut her moorings, and sent the burning vessel over Niagara Falls. For a while, the peaceful relations of the United States and Great Britain were endangered. But the President issued a proclamation of neutrality, forbidding further interference with the affairs of Canada.

8. Mr. Van Buren became a candidate for reëlection, and received the support of the Democratic party. The Whigs put forward General Harrison. The canvass was one of the most exciting in the history of the country. Harrison was triumphantly elected.

Van Buren, President.

52. Fall of Kossuth and the Hungar

Revolution in France.
52.

The so-called Tripartite Tre

A republic proclaimed.

54. The Ost end Manifes

48. Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, elected Pre Louis Napoleon, President

James K. Polk, President.

52.

52. Louis Napoleon, Emperor as

54. The Crimean War.
58. Mutiny

Franklin Pierce, President
James Buck

Wm. H. Harrison, President. Zachary Taylor, President.

Died July 9, 1850.

RICHARD M. JOHN TY-GEORGE M.MILLARD FILLMORE,

DALLAS, Vice- Vice-President, and President
President.
after July 9, 1850. WILLIAM R.
46. Iowa ad mitted into the Union.
46. The Smithsonian Institution organized.

LER, Vice-
President,
and
President, after
April, 1841.
41. Repeal of the
Independent
Treasury Bill.
Veto of the
United States
Bank charter, 45.
and resigna-
tion of the
President's
Cabinet.

37. The Inde-41. pendent Treasury

37.

Bill.

Lake Oke-
chobee.

37. Michigan admitted in

to the Union.

JOHN C. BE

KING, V.-Pre 57. The Dred Sc decision.

57. Personal Lib ty Bill.

49. California forms a State government. 46. The Oregon Boundary Treaty. 49. Renewal of the slavery agitation. 46. General Taylor advances to the Rio Grande. 49. New Mexico Territory organized. Florida admitted into the Union. 50. Passage of the Omnibus Bill. 46. The Mexicans cross the Rio Grande. 50. Texas cedes territory to the general Governme Palo Alto. 53. Kane's Arctic expedition. Resaca de la Palma. 53. Route for a Pacific Railroad exp 50. Utah Territory organized.

46.

39. Nauvoo founded by the Mormons.
40. Great political excitement."

57. The Mormon outbreak in Uta

57. The first Atla Telegraph

42. The Webster- Ashburt on Treaty. 53. The Gadsden Purchase.
46. The Mexicans recross the Rio Grande.
50. John C. Calhoun died, aged 68.
46. Congress declares war against Mexico.
50. Population 23,191,876.
Capture of Matamoras. 53. Arizona Territory organized.
Monterey. 50. California admitted into the Union.
51. The Fugitive Slave Law. 58. Minne
admitted into th
53-60. Walker's filibustering exped

61. William I.

미 cause.

ty.

dent.

ten years.

apoleon III.

67. War between Prussia and Austria. 77. The Russo-Turkish War. 67. Hano ver absorbed by Prussia.

[tion.

68. Formation of North German Confedera-77.
71. Beginning of Franco. 77.
Prussian War.

71. Sedan.

71. Downfall of Napoleon.

72.

77.

Siege of Paris;
Treaty of Peace.

72. King William

65. Fenian troubles in Ireland.
68. Reform Bill passed.

Treaty of Peace between
China and England.

62. Death of Prince Albert,
the Consort.

the East India army.

proclaimed Emperor.
74. Overthrow

Siege of 81. Assassination of Kars. the Czar of Russia. Invasion of European Turkey by the Russians. Siege and capture of Pleona. Collapse of Ottoman Empire. 78. Treaty of San Stefano. 78. Treaty of Berlin.

79. Death of Pius IX.

79. Leo XIII.

79. The Zulu War. 81. Accession of

79. Over

of the Gladstone Ministry. throw of Disraeli Alexander III. 70. Irish Church disestablished. Ministry. 80. British troubles in 71. Bill forbidding sale of Commissions. Afghanistan. 72. Population United Kingdom, 31,465,480. 81. Death of Earl 74. Disraeli, Prime Minister. Beaconsfield.

Abraham Lincoln, President. U. S. Grant, President. anan, President. Andrew Johnson, President after April 15, 1865.

SCHUYLER COLFAX,

ECKINRIDGE, Vice-President.
HANNIBAL HAMLIN, V.-Pres.
61. Ten of the Southern States secede. 69.
61. The Star of the West fired upon. 69.
Fall of Fort 66. The Atlan-
Sumter.
tic Cable laid.

61.
61. The President calls for 75,000 men.

Vice-President.

R. B. Hayes, J. A. Garfield,

President.
W. A. WHEELER,
Vice-President.

The Pacific Railroad completed. 77. New Southern
Edwin M. Stan ton died, aged 55.
Policy adopted.
70. The Fifteenth Amendment adopted.
70. Robert E. Lee died, aged 63.
70. Admiral Farragut died, aged 69.

President.

C.A. ARTHUR,
Vice-President,

and President after
September 19, 1881.
81. Assassination of
President Gar
field.

61. Confederate Congress at Montgomery. 70. Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas re-admitted into the Union. 61. The President calls for 500,000 men. 70. Population 38,558,371. Bull Run. 65. Reconstruction of the seceded States under

61.

Ball's Bluff.

62. Spring

taken by the President.

77. The great Railroad Strikes.
77. The Nez Perce War.
77. Great financial depression.
77. Oliver P. Morton died, aged 54.
78. William Cullen Bryant died,
aged 84.81. James T. Field
Claims settled. died.
78. Bayard Taylor died, aged 54.
78. Establishment of a Chinese
Embassy in U. S.

Mill 65. Amnesty Proclamation. 66. Tennessee re-admitted into the Union. 61. Mason and Slidell captured. 71. Burning of Chicago. 61. Kansas admitted into the Union. 72. The Alabama red. Fort Donelson. 67. Purchase of Alaska. Pittsburg Ldg. 67. Nebraska admitted into the Union. The Monitor and 68. Impeachment of President Johnson. Merrimac. 68. The Fifteenth Amendment adopted. 68. Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Front Royal and Port Republic. Carolina re-admitted into Fair Oaks. Seven Days' battles. 68. Great monetary panic in New York City. 72. William H. Seward died, aged 71. Antietam. 72. Grant re-elect'd.

78. Life-saving Service establ'd. Louisiana, North Carolina, South the Union.

79. Resumption of Specie Payment by the Government. 79. Zachariah Chandler died. 80. Refunding Question in Congress.

Henry Wilson, Vice-Pres., died
Νον. 22, 1875.

72. Horace Greeley died, aged 61. 80. The Tenth Census:
72. Great fire in Boston.
Pop., 50, 152,866.
77-79. Grant's tour around the world.
General George G. Meade died, aged 57.
Boundary dispute between the United States and Great
Britian settled.
78. The bill for Remonetizing
Silver passed by Congress.
78. The Halifax Fishery Commis-
sion make an award of
5,500,000 dollars against the
United States.

63. The President orders a draft for 200,000 troops.
64. The President calls for 300,000 men.

egon ad

Dalton, Resaca.

to the Union.

64.

Dallas, Kenesaw.