Martin Van Buren was born on December 5, 1782, in the village of Kinderhook, New York about 20 miles (32 km) south of Albany on the Hudson River. He was the first president not born a British subject, nor of British ancestry. His father, Abraham Van Buren, was a descendant of Cornelis Maessen of the village of Buurmalsen, Netherlands, who had come to North America in 1631 and purchased a plot of land on Manhattan Island. Abraham Van Buren had been a Patriot during the American Revolution, and he later joined the Democratic - Republican Party. Abraham owned and operated an inn and tavern in Kinderhook and served as Kinderhook 's town clerk for several years. In 1776, Abraham married Maria Hoes (or Goes) Van Alen, the widow of Johannes Van Alen. Like Abraham Van Buren, Maria was of Dutch extraction. With Van Alen, Maria had had three children, including future Congressman James I. Van Alen. After their marriage, Abraham and Maria produced five children, including Martin. Unlike every other president before or since, Van Buren spoke English as a second language, and his primary language in his youth was Dutch.
first president that was born in the us
Martin Van Buren