The Van Buren

Standing at only 5’6” tall, Martin Van Buren was often referred to as “Little Van.” But the real joke is on whoever made up that nickname because he or she missed out on the golden comedy opportunity of calling him “Mini Van.” Martin Van Buren was the 8th president of our fine nation. He had some pretty big shoes to fill considering he took office after Andrew Jackson, the man who essentially turned the White House into a brothel during his time as president. Van Buren’s family came from the town of Buren located in the Netherlands, similar to president John Quincy Adams whose family came from the small English town of “Van-Quincy-Adamsville.”

Though Van Buren was a small guy, he was still able to achieve such success due to his dapper style, suave mannerisms, and devilishly handsome looks. After studying law for many years, he was admitted to the bar in 1803, where he drank beer and chatted with women for a while. Later in the year, he was admitted to practice law in the state of New York. Van Buren went on to be the president after years of being involved in politics. He was the first president to speak out against slavery, he eased dangerous tensions between the US and Mexico, and he was the first president to ever land a perfect Ollie McTwist on a skateboard. After his presidency, he remained loosely involved in politics, but he spent most of his time indulging in his various passions. He learned the guitar and spent much of his time practicing with his punk band known as, “The Barnburners,” named after the radical faction of the Democratic Party. His legacy has since lived on through many different ways. For example, there are 13 different townships in Indiana named after him, as well as many other towns across the US. Additionally, he became the namesake of one of New York’s most ruthless gangs: The Van Buren Boys. If you ever come across them and they’re looking for trouble, hold up eight fingers. You’ll be safe.

Like we mentioned earlier, Van Buren was a slick gentleman, always dressed in the finest clothes and looking superb. The Van Buren bag from our Midtown Collection will surely give you the dapper style you need when you run for president. And if you’re not running for president, well, it doesn’t hurt to look like you are.