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Hannah Van Buren Facts & Worksheets

Hannah Van Buren was the wife of Martin Van Buren, eighth president of the United States.

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Hannah Van Buren was the wife of Martin Van Buren, eighth president of the United States.

See the fact file below for more information on Hannah Van Buren or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Hannah Van Buren worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

General Information

  • Hannah Van Buren was born on March 8, 1783 at Kinderhook, New York to Johannes Dircksen Hoes, a farmer, and Maria Quakenbush. She had two siblings, Maria Hoes Van Dyck and Peter I.
  • She grew up in faith with Dutch Reformed Church, then later attended and joined Presbyterian Church in Albany, New York.
  • She was taught in a local Kinderhook school by master Vrouw Lange and Dutch was her first language.
  • At age 24, she was married to her childhood sweetheart Martin   Van Buren on February 21, 1807 at Hoxton House Inn, in Catskill, New York.
  • The couple initially lived together in Kinderhook and had five children: Abraham (1807 – 1873), John (1810 – 1866), Martin Jr. (1812 – 1855), Winfield Scott (1814), and Smith Thompson (1817 – 1876).
  • Afterwards, they moved to Hudson, New York, the county seat.
  • Her husband, Martin, soon became immediately involved in the local Democratic Party and was elected to a county position in 1812 to the state senate.
  • Following this, Hannah Van Buren and her family moved to the state capital, Albany as Martin made many friends and formed a multitude of political alliances. 
  • With political goals, he organized his own and practiced patronage, creating one of the first “political machines” in American politics. 
  • This meant that Hannah’s home was frequently visited by her husband’s cronies and aides, lawyers and other men of influence in the state. She was reported to be a sociable woman and was a willing hostess for Martin’s frequent guests.
  • Despite this, she was still focused on raising four sons, and her church. Hannah devoted herself to the charitable efforts of the local Presbyterian Church.

Contracting Tuberculosis And Death

  • Unfortunately, Hannah Van Buren contracted tuberculosis in Albany and rapidly developed the grim symptoms of the disease, which affected her ability to breathe normally.
  • The disease weakened her physical state that she was unable to rise from her bed for more than a few minutes. Her young sons were only able to spend brief periods of time with her. 
  • This prompted the family to enlist the help of her niece Christina Cantine to manage the household.
  • In addition, Hannah became pregnant with her fifth child in March of 1816. Although she gave birth to a healthy baby boy in January 1817, his delivery only further weakened Mrs. Van Buren’s condition and she was unable to recover.
  • Knowing her impending death, Hannah requested that the money spent for providing scarves for the pallbearers at her funeral instead be used to buy food for those needy in Albany.
  • Hannah passed away on February 5, 1819, and was buried in Albany. In 1855, she was reburied at Kinderhook Cemetery.

Events After Her Passing

  • Martin Van Buren eventually became the president of United States from 4 March, 1837- 4 March, 1841. Should Hannah survived, she would have been the first first lady born a U.S. citizen.
  • The old president never remarried. 
  • When he published a nearly 800-page autobiography, Martin chose not to mention her.
  • In the later years, his son Martin, Jr. also contracted tuberculosis. The president took him to Europe seeking cures which offered the slightest hope of stalling the disease.

Summary Of Martin Van Buren Administration

  • Choosing to remain widower for 18 years there was no First Lady in the White House during Martin Van Buren’s presidency. 
  • But when his eldest son, Abraham Van Buren married Angelica Rebecca Singleton Van Buren, she was seated with the place of honor as the woman of highest-ranking, the First Lady, throughout the half of Van Buren’s administration.
  • On President Van Buren’s administration, he was faced by financial crisis, prompting him to make a proposal to move federal funds from state banks to an “independent treasury.”
  • He was also criticized by opponents for the costly wars against the Seminole Indians in Florida and his failure to support the proposed annexation of the state of Texas.
  • Van Buren also supported the proslavery vote in the election of 1840 and advocated against African slaves for their part in the Amistad mutiny in 1839 US Trials.
  • However, his administration was able to restore peace in disputed territory along the Maine–New Brunswick border.
  • His last presidential order was no person should work more than 10 hours a day on federal public works.
  • He continued to oppose the annexation after his presidency but did not pursue politics. Van Buren then retired to his estate, Lindenwald, in Kinderhook.

Hannah Van Buren Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Hannah Van Buren across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Hannah Van Buren worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Hannah Van Buren, the wife of Martin Van Buren – eighth president of the United States.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Hannah Van Buren Facts
  • Back in the Days…
  • People in the Old America
  • Working In Charity
  • Role of a Woman
  • A Dedication
  • Supporting the President
  • The Future Me
  • Tuberculosis
  • Vocabulary Test
  • Official Portrait

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Link will appear as Hannah Van Buren Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, August 19, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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