Van Buren became known for being a shrewd politician. He earned the nicknames "Little Magician" and the "Red Fox" for his cunning politics. He was unable to get elected to a second term as president, however, when a financial panic hit the country and the stock market crashed.
Martin Van Buren was the only American president who did not speak English as his first language. He was born in Kinderhook, New York, a primarily Dutch community, spoke Dutch as his first language, and continued to speak it at home.