Pasty Central Day in History, November 7th
On this day in 1836 Martin Van Buren was elected the 8th President of the United States. That day Van Buren was elected there were 25 states, but when inaugurated in March of 1837 he took leadership of 26 United States, the latest being Michigan.
President Van Buren’s predecessor Andrew Jackson had engineered a compromise convincing representatives of the Michigan territory to accept the Upper Peninsula in exchange for giving up any claims on the Port of Miami, also known as Toledo on that wedge of land called the Toledo Strip.
If these events had occurred after the 20th amendment (which moved presidential inauguration dates to January), Van Buren – not Jackson – would have signed the act that granted Michigan its statehood. Pasty Central Day in History, November 7th.