Abraham Van Buren
Encyclopedia
Abraham Van Buren was the eldest son of the eighth President of the United States
, Martin Van Buren
(Republican-Democrat) and his wife, Hannah Hoes Van Buren. Born in Kinderhook, New York, Abraham was named in honor of his paternal grandfather who was an officer in the Continental Army
during the Revolutionary War
.
Abraham, a career military man, graduated from the United States Military Academy
at West Point, New York
in 1827. He was appointed to West Point when he was 14 years of age. Some of his classmates included: 1. Jefferson Davis
, hero of the Mexican-American War with his Mississippi
infantry troops and eventual President of The Confederate States of America
, 2. Robert E. Lee
, eventual Commandant of West Point and General and Commander of The Army of Northern Virginia
and General and overall Commander of the Confederate States of America
Army, and 3. Joseph E. Johnston
, eventual General and Commander of The Army of Tennessee
of the Confederate States of America Army.
Abraham took five years to advance from second lieutenant to first lieutenant in the United States Army
. It took him four more years to obtain the rank of captain. According to Wead, it was “a slow promotion rate—particularly given his father's political positions of the time” (p. 53). He served two years on the American frontier and he also served under General Winfield Scott
in the Seminole War in 1836. During this time, Abraham was made captain of the United States Army's First Dragoons; however, he resigned his commission to become his father's private secretary in the White House
starting in 1837.
In 1838, Dolley Madison
, wife of former President James Madison
, enticed Abraham to meet her cousin, Angelica Singleton
, at a White House
dinner hosted by his father. Miss Singleton was a daughter of a wealthy South Carolina
planter. Angelica was a refined lady who had been schooled in the fine arts at Madame Grelaud's Seminary in Philadelphia. Abraham fell in love with Angelica and the two were married at Colonel Richard Singleton's Wedgefield, South Carolina
plantation named “Home Place.” The President was unable to attend the couple's wedding; however, he was delighted with the match. The two honeymooned in London. Upon returning to the United States
, Angelica assumed the duties of “White House Hostess” because Hannah, Martin Van Buren's wife, had died after only twelve years of marriage in 1819. Angelica's and Abraham's first born, Rebecca, was born in March 1840; however, she died in the White House only months later. The couple later had three more children.
Abraham's career in the White House
ended when his father was defeated by Whig
candidate
William Henry Harrison
in the presidential campaign of 1840. Abraham left Washington with Angelica in March 1841 after Harrison's inauguration. Their first visit was with Angelica's family in Sumter, where Angelica gave birth to their first son, Singleton.
In 1846, at the outbreak of the war with Mexico
, Abraham was reappointed to the military as a member of the regular army with the rank of major and position as paymaster. In spite of his absence while serving in the military, Abraham still enjoyed close relations with his father. When the former president renovated and expanded his estate Lindenwald, located in Kinderhook, New York, during the years of 1849 to 1851, a corner room on the second floor opposite the master bedroom in the original home that was built in 1797 was reserved for Abraham and Angelica. The couple would enjoy extended stays with the former president along with Abraham's surviving brothers John, Martin, Jr., and Smith Thompson. Abraham and his family continued to winter at their plantation in South Carolina.
Abraham served for eighteen years in the First Dragoons as an infantry officer eventually reaching the rank of major. In August 1847, he was made a brevet lieutenant colonel during the Mexican-American War for gallant and meritorious conduct during the battles of Contreras
and Churubusco
(Heitman, p. 980). Abraham served in the war despite the fact that his father was opposed to the conflict. During the war, Abraham also served as an aide to General Zachary Taylor
. In 1848, Abraham's family moved to New York City
. In 1854, Abraham retired from the military.
After his military career ended, Abraham spent his remaining years editing and publishing his father's presidential papers. Abraham served as the leading apologist for his father's oft-criticized United States Presidential legacy before his death. He is buried alongside his wife Angelica in Woodlawn Cemetery
in Bronx, New York.
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States . Before his presidency, he was the eighth Vice President and the tenth Secretary of State, under Andrew Jackson ....
(Republican-Democrat) and his wife, Hannah Hoes Van Buren. Born in Kinderhook, New York, Abraham was named in honor of his paternal grandfather who was an officer in the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
during the Revolutionary War
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
.
Abraham, a career military man, graduated from the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point, New York
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
in 1827. He was appointed to West Point when he was 14 years of age. Some of his classmates included: 1. Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
, hero of the Mexican-American War with his Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
infantry troops and eventual President of The Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
, 2. Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
, eventual Commandant of West Point and General and Commander of The Army of Northern Virginia
Army of Northern Virginia
The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, as well as the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed against the Union Army of the Potomac...
and General and overall Commander of the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
Army, and 3. Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph E. Johnston
Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a career U.S. Army officer, serving with distinction in the Mexican-American War and Seminole Wars, and was also one of the most senior general officers in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
, eventual General and Commander of The Army of Tennessee
Army of Tennessee
The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating in most of the significant battles in the Western Theater...
of the Confederate States of America Army.
Abraham took five years to advance from second lieutenant to first lieutenant in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. It took him four more years to obtain the rank of captain. According to Wead, it was “a slow promotion rate—particularly given his father's political positions of the time” (p. 53). He served two years on the American frontier and he also served under General Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott was a United States Army general, and unsuccessful presidential candidate of the Whig Party in 1852....
in the Seminole War in 1836. During this time, Abraham was made captain of the United States Army's First Dragoons; however, he resigned his commission to become his father's private secretary in the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
starting in 1837.
In 1838, Dolley Madison
Dolley Madison
Dolley Payne Todd Madison was the spouse of the fourth President of the United States, James Madison, and was First Lady of the United States from 1809 to 1817...
, wife of former President James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
, enticed Abraham to meet her cousin, Angelica Singleton
Angelica Van Buren
Angelica Singleton Van Buren, born Sarah Angelica Singleton was the daughter-in-law of the 8th United States President Martin Van Buren. She was married to the President's son, Abraham Van Buren...
, at a White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
dinner hosted by his father. Miss Singleton was a daughter of a wealthy South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
planter. Angelica was a refined lady who had been schooled in the fine arts at Madame Grelaud's Seminary in Philadelphia. Abraham fell in love with Angelica and the two were married at Colonel Richard Singleton's Wedgefield, South Carolina
Wedgefield, South Carolina
Wedgefield is an unincorporated community in the High Hills of Santee area in western Sumter County, South Carolina, United States. Wedgefield was so named because its location was likened to a "wedge" into the High Hills of Santee...
plantation named “Home Place.” The President was unable to attend the couple's wedding; however, he was delighted with the match. The two honeymooned in London. Upon returning to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Angelica assumed the duties of “White House Hostess” because Hannah, Martin Van Buren's wife, had died after only twelve years of marriage in 1819. Angelica's and Abraham's first born, Rebecca, was born in March 1840; however, she died in the White House only months later. The couple later had three more children.
Abraham's career in the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
ended when his father was defeated by Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
candidate
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
in the presidential campaign of 1840. Abraham left Washington with Angelica in March 1841 after Harrison's inauguration. Their first visit was with Angelica's family in Sumter, where Angelica gave birth to their first son, Singleton.
In 1846, at the outbreak of the war with Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Abraham was reappointed to the military as a member of the regular army with the rank of major and position as paymaster. In spite of his absence while serving in the military, Abraham still enjoyed close relations with his father. When the former president renovated and expanded his estate Lindenwald, located in Kinderhook, New York, during the years of 1849 to 1851, a corner room on the second floor opposite the master bedroom in the original home that was built in 1797 was reserved for Abraham and Angelica. The couple would enjoy extended stays with the former president along with Abraham's surviving brothers John, Martin, Jr., and Smith Thompson. Abraham and his family continued to winter at their plantation in South Carolina.
Abraham served for eighteen years in the First Dragoons as an infantry officer eventually reaching the rank of major. In August 1847, he was made a brevet lieutenant colonel during the Mexican-American War for gallant and meritorious conduct during the battles of Contreras
Contreras
-People:*Pedro de Alvarado , Spanish conquistador*Carlos Contreras, Mexican NASCAR driver*Carlos Alberto Contreras, Colombian road cyclist*Eleazar López Contreras, Venezuelan politician and former president...
and Churubusco
Churubusco
Churubusco is a neighbourhood of Mexico City. Under the current territorial division of the Mexican Federal District, it is a part of the borough of Coyoacán...
(Heitman, p. 980). Abraham served in the war despite the fact that his father was opposed to the conflict. During the war, Abraham also served as an aide to General Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
. In 1848, Abraham's family moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In 1854, Abraham retired from the military.
After his military career ended, Abraham spent his remaining years editing and publishing his father's presidential papers. Abraham served as the leading apologist for his father's oft-criticized United States Presidential legacy before his death. He is buried alongside his wife Angelica in Woodlawn Cemetery
Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx
Woodlawn Cemetery is one of the largest cemeteries in New York City and is a designated National Historic Landmark.A rural cemetery located in the Bronx, it opened in 1863, in what was then southern Westchester County, in an area that was annexed to New York City in 1874.The cemetery covers more...
in Bronx, New York.