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Martin Van Buren
Growing up in a New York Tavern

Once upon a time, there was a Dutch boy named Martin.

He lived in the village of Kinderhook - near Albany, the capital of New York state.

Like everybody else in his town, Martin was Dutch. He was a Van Buren and everybody was a Van something. Many folks, including Martin, spoke
Dutch.

In 1631, his great-great-great-great-grandfather came from the Netherlands.
Martin was the middle child.
His mother had a bazillion children.
His father owned a tavern in Kinderhook.

At 14, Martin began studying to become a lawyer.
At 15, he participated in his first court trial.
At 19, Martin moved to New York City to study law.
At 21, he opened his own law practice in
Kinderhook, New York.

What did Martin Van Buren learn by sitting in his father's tavern?

On a sheet of notebook paper - or in your Warmup Journal, write the answer to the question above.

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Politics!
Taverns have played a major role in American politics.

1. The Revolutionary War
Ever since the Revolutionary War of 1776, folks met in taverns to talk politics. This was true of Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Williamsburg, and Charleston.

When the British government shut down the Virginia legislature in 1769, the revolutionaries (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry) met at Raleigh Tavern in Williamsburg. George Washington often used a tavern as his military headquarters during military campaigns.

2. The Industrial Revolution
Living in crowded tenements, the working class was forced out onto the street. Aside from churches, taverns were the only public places - which is why they were nicknamed “pubs.” (Unlike today, there were no movie theaters, bowling alleys, or baseball parks.) In the cities, working-class neighborhoods looked to taverns as community centers, hiring halls, and banks.

3. The Democratic Party
Machine politicians always used the local saloon as their “office.”

First, they served their constituents’ needs. Second, they listened to peoples’ political opinions.

This is exactly what Martin Van Buren did. By listening to the Common Man, he got to know what and how he thought.
As a result, Martin Van Buren served as Andrew Jackson’s campaign manager in the 1828 presidential campaign.


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United States
1837-1841