Abraham Van Buren (February 17, 1737 – April 8, 1817) was an American businessman and local public official from

Kinderhook, New York Kinderhook is a town in the northern part of Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 8,330 at the 2020 census,U.S. Census, 2020, 'Kinderhook town, Columbia County, New York' making it the most populous municipality in Columb ...

. A

Patriot A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism. Patriot(s) or The Patriot(s) may also refer to: Political and military groups United States * Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American R ...

and militia veteran of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, he was the father of

Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren ( ; ; December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was the eighth president of the United States, serving from 1837 to 1841. A primary founder of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as Attorney General o ...

, the eighth president of the United States.

Biography

Abraham Van Buren was born in

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...

on February 17, 1737, the son of Marten Pieterse Van Buren (1701–1766) and Dirckje (Van Alstyne) Van Buren (1710–1798). The fifth of nine children, he was a descendant of Cornelis Maessen, a native of Buurmalsen,

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

who had come to North America in 1631. Van Buren owned a Kinderhook farm and several slaves, as well as a combined tavern and inn. Most of Kinderhook's residents were descendants of the Dutch colonists who created

New Netherland New Netherland () was a colony of the Dutch Republic located on the East Coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva Peninsula to Cape Cod. Settlements were established in what became the states ...

, and they spoke

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

as their primary language. The Van Buren tavern was strategically situated on the main route between

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and Albany. In addition to being a prominent destination for stagecoach travelers, Van Buren's tavern was also a prominent local meeting place, and used for political gatherings, town meetings, and as a polling place. During the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

, Van Buren was identified with the

cause, serving in the Albany County Militia's 7th Regiment with the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

. After the war, Van Buren was active in politics as an

Anti-Federalist The Anti-Federalists were a late-18th-century political movement that opposed the creation of a stronger U.S. federal government and which later opposed the ratification of the 1787 Constitution. The previous constitution, called the Articles ...

and Jeffersonian, and he joined the

Democratic-Republican Party The Democratic-Republican Party (also referred to by historians as the Republican Party or the Jeffersonian Republican Party), was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early 1790s. It championed li ...

at its founding. In 1787, Van Buren was elected to serve as Kinderhook's town clerk, the first individual chosen for this position after it was created. He served until 1797 and was succeeded by his stepson James I. Van Alen. The details of Abraham Van Buren's education are not known, but according to 1914's ''A History of Old Kinderhook'', his excellent penmanship and the legibility of the town records he produced was still notable more than 120 years after he created them.

Family

In 1776, Abraham Van Buren married Maria Hoes (or Goes) Van Alen (1747–1818), the widow of Johannes Van Alen. From his wife's first marriage to Johannes Van Alen, Van Buren was the stepfather of: * Marytje (or Maria) Van Alen (1768–1829), who married John L. Hoes. * John I. Van Alen (1770–1805) * James I. Van Alen (1772–1822), who practiced law with

, succeeded Abraham Van Buren as town clerk and also served as a member of Congress (1807–1809). From his own marriage, Van Buren's children included: * Dirckie "Derike" Van Buren (1777–1865), who married Barent Hoes (1777–1853). Barent Hoes was the brother of Martin Van Buren's wife, and served in local offices including town clerk. * Jannetje (Called "Hannah" or "Jane") Van Buren (1780–1838), who never married and who resided with her sister Dirckie Van Buren and brother-in-law Barent Hoes. *

(1782–1862), 8th

president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

. * Lawrence (or Laurence) Van Buren (1786–1868), a store owner and attorney who served as a militia officer in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

and held local offices including Kinderhook

Town Supervisor The administrative divisions of New York are the various units of government that provide local services in the American state of New York. The state is divided into boroughs, counties, cities, towns, and villages. (The only boroughs, the f ...

, postmaster, and presidential elector in 1852. * Abraham Van Buren (1788–1836), an attorney who served as Columbia County Surrogate after Martin Van Buren and James I. Van Alen.

Death and burial

Van Buren died in Kinderhook on April 8, 1817. He was buried at Kinderhook Reformed Church Cemetery.

Reputation

Martin Van Buren apparently said and wrote very little about his father. In one of his few recorded recollections, Martin Van Buren wrote of his father that Abraham Van Buren was an amiable man who had no enemies, but also had little talent for making or saving money. Abraham Van Buren's children erected a marker over his grave, which contained a detailed epitaph:

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Van Buren, Abraham 1737 births 1817 deaths American people of Dutch descent Fathers of presidents of the United States Fathers of vice presidents of the United States Martin Van Buren New York (state) Anti-Federalists New York (state) Democratic-Republicans New York (state) militiamen in the American Revolution People from Kinderhook, New York Abraham 1737