Martin Van Buren refused to be Secretary of State.
Martin Van Buren ( Maarten van Buren ; December 5 , 1782 -- July 24 , 1862 ) was an American politician who served as the eighth President of the United States ( 1837 -- 41 ) . A member of the Democratic Party , he served in a number of other senior roles , including eighth Vice President ( 1833 -- 37 ) and tenth Secretary of State ( 1829 -- 31 ) , both under Andrew Jackson . Van Buren was a major supporter and organizer for Jackson in the 1828 election , and ran for Governor of New York in the hope of using his personal popularity to boost Jackson 's campaign . Jackson and Van Buren were elected , and after serving as governor for two months , Van Buren resigned to become Jackson 's Secretary of State . In 1831 , following his resignation as Secretary of State , which aided Jackson in resolving the Petticoat affair , Jackson gave Van Buren a recess appointment as American minister to Britain .