Van Buren would run for the White House two more times, both times unsuccessfully. He'd travel extensively in Europe, write his autobiography, and enjoy farming, fishing, and his family.

Guy Pearce told Business Insider that what happens to his character Van Buren at the end of "The Brutalist" isn't the point — there's much more to examine.

Martin Van Buren in 1860. Library of Congress. When Martin Van Buren arrived in Washington to be sworn in as a senator in 1821, he told a friend he planned to “build up a party” for himself.

Van Buren entered political life in 1812 after winning a seat in the state legislature. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1821, he ran for governor of New York in 1828 and won, ...