Building a Nation

Born during the American Revolution, Van Buren lived to see the beginning of the Civil War. His generation of Americans were tasked with taking the founders' ideas and putting them into practical use, and the fate of the union was anything but certain.

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Library of Congress

Martin Van Buren, Compromise, and Privilege

Martin Van Buren was a political compromiser. He created coalitions, political parties, and alliances over the course of his career in both the State and Federal governments. However, the compromises of Van Buren's career were not victories for everyone. What did those compromises cost, and who did they leave behind?

 

Koninklijke Bibliotheek

The Rise and Fall of New Netherland

Martin Van Buren was the sixth generation of a pioneer family who were part of a migration of Dutch emigrants who came seeking a home outside of Europe. These Dutch families brought their lives and traditions with them to a new colony, where they started the beginnings of a solid Dutch presence in North America.