Martin Van Buren National Historic Site – New York

NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

Martin Van Buren

Kinderhook, NY

Politics before the Civil War was a whirlwind of opposing interest groups. Martin Van Buren was able to unite those groups becoming president in 1837. As frustration and violence over the extension of slavery grew in the 1840’s, Van Buren ran for the presidency twice more from this house. He hoped to unite sectional interests but failed; ultimately so did the union.