Virginia and Ohio claim to be Mother of Presidents – but NY claims 7 unique sons!

Three Who Re-Upped the Third Party Way

#8, Martin Van Buren (1782-1862) was a New Yorker from the border of the Catskill and Adirondack Mountains. His tavern-keeper father had him educated as best he could, but young MVB jumped at the chance to read law with a local firm and began a career in little-bit law and lot-bit politics, which he preferred, and mastered. He held varying positions in Albany, in the Albany Regency wing of the Democratic-Republican Party. His biggest claim to political fame was his ability to charm, disarm, duck and waffle, suavely agree with everyone, and eventually get his way. One could arguably call him the first really “political” President.

In the mid 1820s, MVB became a convert to Andrew Jackson, and devoted his energies to electing Old Hickory and serving as his Secretary of State, and later Vice President.

As the logical successor to Jax in 1836, Van Buren inherited the whirlwind of Jacksonian banking woes, and when he sought re-election in 1840, he lost. He tried for the nomination in ’44, but lost again. But in 1848, he was nominated to head the anti-slavery Free Soil Party. They lost.

So MVB traveled, wrote his memoirs, and eventually died back in NY at 80.

#13, Millard Fillmore (1800-1874), another upstate New Yorker, was a farm boy who became an attorney. Holding political positions/offices seemed easier to provide a steady income. That included several years as Congressman. His rise was unremarkable, as were his abilities, but the 1840s and 50s were a rough time for strong candidates, and the Vice Presidency was innocuous, offering good pay, good perks, respectability and no heavy lifting.

As VP to Whig President Zachary Taylor, he balanced the Southern slaveholder on the ticket. They won. Taylor died, and Fillmore became Whig POTUS for two and a half years. He was more forgettable than failing (although that might be argued). But while he actively sought his party’s nomination in ’52, it was not forthcoming.

But another splinter party, the American Party had formed, known to history as the Know-Nothings. They were a narrow minded group, excessively xenophobic and anti-Papist. They wooed and won Fillmore to head their ticket in 1856. They lost, too.

So MF traveled, returned to Buffalo and married a wealthy widow. He died at 74.

Another VP-turned-POTUS-turned Third Party Presidential Candidate was #26, Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919). Born in Manhattan to a prominent and wealthy family, he had every advantage but good health. That he acquired. His Harvard education, academic talents and larger-than-life personality were very noticeable. By 24, he was already in the New York State Legislature.

For the next fifteen years, he held a variety of medium positions that he whipped into a frenzy of publicity, making him a well-known figure on a national level. That soared when TR recruited a volunteer regiment for the Spanish American War, and returned to NY in glory. The Republicans made him Governor. Then the political bigwigs slyly “kicked him upstairs” to become Vice President in 1900.

When President McKinley was assassinated, 42-year-old TR was now “that cowboy in the White House.” He took the reins in his teeth and never let up. He became the first “accidental” POTUS to gain his own term. Then he prematurely renounced further presidential ambition, repented in leisure, chose his successor and rode off into the sunset. Not quite.

At 50, TR was too young, too vigorous, too personally popular, and too antsy. When his own party declined to renominate him, he formed his own Progressive Party, nicknamed the Bull Moose Party. They made a good showing in 1912, but they lost.

By the time TR died at only sixty, there was talk once more of nominating him for President.

New Yorkers are Tenacious

#21, Chester Alan Arthur (1829-86) was another “accidental” POTUS. Born in VT, his family moved to New York when he was a child. Seduced by the Big Apple as a young attorney, he became active in behind-the-scenes politics. In a surprise election, dark-horse James Garfield and darker-horse Chet Arthur were elected in 1880. Garfield was assassinated, and Arthur served three-and-a-half years of the incomplete term. He wasn’t too bad all things considered, but his party (Republicans) did not nominate him, although CAA was amenable to continue on. It was probably for the best. He was a sick man, and had he won, would have not completed his term either.

#22/24, Grover Cleveland (1837-1908) was born in NJ, but his minister-father moved to Buffalo when GC was a month old, so it sort-of doesn’t count. His education was spotty. By 18, recognizing that he was going nowhere, he read law with a Democratic law firm (hence GC’s political affiliation), and established a successful business law practice in Buffalo. Early ventures in local politics were disappointing, especially when he realized that business law was far more profitable.

But Buffalo was corrupt, particularly after the Civil War, and a coalition of Republicans and Democrats recruited GC for Mayor. He won, cleaned up a host of naughtiness, and was promoted to NY Governor.

Two years later, Cleveland became the Democratic Presidential candidate. THREE TIMES: 1884, 1888 and 1892! Won-Lost-Won, forever confusing the numerical order. He was honest, conservative but generally unimaginative. When he retired, he moved to New Jersey, where he died at 71.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) remains, and shall always remain the only POTUS who ran for and was elected to FOUR terms (1932-45). Born along the Hudson River, his family was wealthy and prominent – he was a distant cousin of the aforementioned Theodore. His career was moderate until he was 39, when he contracted polio, and spent a decade trying to regain his health as well as keeping his finger in the political pie.

Elected as a Democratic legislator etc., FDR was considered a pleasant lightweight. He fooled everyone by becoming a very potent leader.

He died only three months into his fourth term. He loved the job almost as much his distant cousin.

It is still much too early for #45 to be evaluated for the future.

Sources:

DeGregorio, William A. – The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents – Gramercy Books, 2001

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Free-Soil-Party

https://millercenter.org/transforming-american-democracy-tr-and-bull-moose-campaign-1912