Editing Martin Van Buren (section)

===Historical reputation===
Van Buren's most lasting achievement was as a political organizer who built the Democratic Party and guided it to dominance in the [[Second Party System]],{{sfn|Cole|1984|p=16}} and historians have come to regard Van Buren as integral to the development of the American political system.<ref name=MVLiB>{{cite web |url=https://millercenter.org/president/vanburen/life-in-brief |first1=Joel |last1=Silbey |title=Martin Van Buren: Life in Brief |publisher=Miller Center of Public Affairs University of Virginia |access-date=March 6, 2017 |date=October 4, 2016 |archive-date=April 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403204126/https://millercenter.org/president/vanburen/life-in-brief |url-status=live }}</ref> According to [[Robert V. Remini]], "Van Buren's creative contribution to the political development of the nation was enormous, and as such he earned his way to the presidency… Heretofore parties were regarded as evils to be tolerated; Van Buren argued that the party system was the most sensible and intelligent way the affairs of the nation could be democratically conducted, a viewpoint that eventually won national approval".<ref>Robert Remini, "Van Buren, Martin" in John A. Garraty, ed., ''Encyclopedia of American Biography'' (1974) pp 1120–1122.</ref>[[File:MVanBuren.png|thumb|upright=0.8|Gubernatorial [[portrait]] of Martin Van Buren by [[Daniel Huntington (artist)|Daniel Huntington]] in The Civil War]]
His presidency is [[Historical rankings of presidents of the United States|considered to be average]], at best, by historians. He was blamed for the Panic of 1837 and defeated for reelection.<ref name=MVLiB/> His tenure was dominated by the economic conditions caused by the panic, and historians have split on the adequacy of the Independent Treasury as a response.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://millercenter.org/president/vanburen/impact-and-legacy| title=Martin Van Buren: Impact and Legacy| publisher=Miller Center of Public Affairs University of Virginia| access-date=March 16, 2017| date=October 4, 2016| archive-date=March 28, 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328020512/https://millercenter.org/president/vanburen/impact-and-legacy| url-status=live}}</ref> Some historians disagree with these negative assessments. For example, libertarian writer [[Ivan Eland]], in his 2009 book ''[[Recarving Rushmore]]'', ranked Van Buren as the third greatest president.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Eland |first=Ivan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m7DtAAAAMAAJ |title=Recarving Rushmore: Ranking the Presidents on Peace, Prosperity, and Liberty |date=2009 |publisher=Independent Institute |isbn=978-1-59813-022-5 |pages=70–91 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Doucet |first=Bradley |date=2013 |title=What Makes a Good President? A Review of Ivan Eland's Recarving Rushmore |url=http://www.quebecoislibre.org/12/121015-9.html |access-date= |website=[[Le Québécois Libre]] |archive-date=August 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220819025052/http://www.quebecoislibre.org/12/121015-9.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He argues that Van Buren handled the Panic of 1837 well, and praised Van Buren for reducing [[government spending]], [[Balanced budget|balancing the budget]], and avoiding potential wars with Canada and Mexico.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Historian Jeffrey Rogers Hummel states that Van Buren was America's greatest president, arguing that "historians have grossly underrated his many remarkable accomplishments in the face of heavy odds".<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hummel |first=Jeffrey Rogers |date=1999 |title=Martin Van Buren: The Greatest American President |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24560894 |journal=The Independent Review |volume=4 |issue=2 |pages=255–281 |jstor=24560894 |issn=1086-1653 |access-date=April 13, 2022 |archive-date=April 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220413144937/https://www.jstor.org/stable/24560894 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Several writers have portrayed Van Buren as among the nation's most obscure presidents. As noted in a 2014 ''Time'' magazine article on the "Top 10 Forgettable Presidents":
{{Blockquote|Making himself nearly disappear completely from the history books was probably not the trick the "Little Magician" Martin Van Buren had in mind, but his was the first truly forgettable American presidency.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Fletcher|first=Dan|magazine=Time|title=Top Ten Forgettable Presidents: Martin Van Buren|url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1879648_1879646_1879654,00.html|access-date=March 14, 2017|date=March 10, 2009|archive-date=February 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228200102/http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1879648_1879646_1879654,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref>}}