Papers of Martin Van Buren

03/26/2026

03/25/2026

The Papers of Martin Van Buren is hiring! We are looking for an assistant editor and a research editor, with start dates of July 1 (or sooner, if possible).

Info on both positions can be found at https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/portal/DEB43C3FD051B594AA4F4829C8587DC3/career-page (posted under Staff).

03/20/2026

Martin Van Buren did not say, "No evil can result from its inhibition more pernicious than its toleration.” Here's who actually did.

“No evil can result from its inhibition more pernicious than its toleration.”

03/18/2026

Are you a teacher who has wanted to incorporate Martin Van Buren into your classroom but just didn't know how? Now you can!

On May 19, our editors and a team of high school teachers from across the U.S. will be leading a workshop centered on new lesson plans that use Van Buren's papers to illuminate the era in which he lived. Lesson plan themes include slavery, territorial expansion, Indian removal, presidential politics, rhetoric, and visual culture.

Registration is free, but seats are limited. Use the link below to reserve your spot!

https://virginia.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sdzk9Ty1RTW81AV1vE-ytQ

02/19/2026

02/16/2026

Today marks ten years since the Papers of Martin Van Buren officially launched at Cumberland University. Our project has built on the solid foundation provided by the original PMVB project at Penn State University (1969-87), transforming its microfilm edition into a more accessible 21st-century digital edition.

Over the past ten years, our work has been made possible by our sponsors and partners (Cumberland University, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Historical Publications and Records Commission, Center for Digital Editing, the Van Buren Family Foundation, the Watson-Brown Foundation, the Heller Family Foundation, and the Tennessee General Assembly), our editorial staff (James Bradley, Erica Cavanaugh, Katie Blizzard, Andrew Wiley, David Gregory, Katie Hatton, Aaron Crawford, Max Matherne, Cole Nichols, Ed Bradley, and Maggie Baldwin), and our students and volunteers, whose many names can be found here: https://vanburenpapers.org/about-project/project-staff. We also want to thank past and present members of our advisory board for their advice and support.

Two particular donors deserve mention. Bob and Pam Black made the initial donation to get PMVB off of the ground, and Cynthia Van Buren left an estate gift that funds the lecture series named in her memory and provides funding for our student internships.

To steal a line from our friends at Friends of Lindenwald and Martin Van Buren National Historic Site, let's party with Marty on this Presidents' Day!

02/02/2026

Two weeks from today, we will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of our project!

01/27/2026

Project director Mark Cheathem recently wrote updated essays on Martin Van Buren for the University of Virginia's Miller Center.

Scholarly essays, speeches, photos, and other resources on Martin Van Buren, the 8th US president (1837-1841), including information about Democratic politics, his vice presidency, and the 1837 depression

01/23/2026

We’re excited to announce a special lecture as part of the Cynthia van Buren Lecture Series!

📖 A Constitutional Quirk:
The Twelfth Amendment and Martin Van Buren’s Run for the Presidency in 1848

🗓 Monday, February 16
⏰ 7:00 PM
📍 Alumni Hall

Join us for an engaging evening of history and discussion!
👉 RSVP via the link:

https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/registration-form/?formId=f46b5d6e-a822-4645-a2a4-0048ca6b7512&envId=p-Wgo1OXyQnUCpd_KMxqkn5g&zone=usa

01/16/2026

01/15/2026

On Presidents Day, Feb. 16, we will be celebrating the ten-year anniversary of our project's launch. We'll start with an afternoon event looking at the history of the Van Buren Papers and providing updates on where we are today. That evening, PMVB editor Andrew Wiley will deliver the Cynthia Van Buren Lecture.

Reservations are not required for the evening lecture, but please RSVP for the afternoon session at this link: https://eml-pusa01.app.blackbaud.net/intv2/j/10E41EA1-E662-4D30-B957-F59D833387AB/r/10E41EA1-E662-4D30-B957-F59D833387AB_cb7f7666-90ea-4255-9f31-c7153984d06a/l/3A5EA4E8-ADF1-4601-BEE5-D083DD44CBC5/c