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Tertiary sourceBook1920

Van Buren, Martin, entry in The Encyclopedia Americana

Marcus W. Jernegan · 1920

A 1920 encyclopedia article by Marcus W. Jernegan on Martin Van Buren, eighth president of the United States, covering his family, legal training and political offices.

This encyclopedia article traces Van Buren's rise through local and state offices, placing him in the archive as a subject of later reference writing.

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About this source

What it is

This is an entry on Martin Van Buren written by Marcus W. Jernegan for The Encyclopedia Americana, published in New York in 1920. It is a reference article. It gives Van Buren's birth at Kinderhook, New York, on December 5, 1782, and his death there on July 24, 1862. It is listed on Wikisource under works about Van Buren.

Why it matters

The entry traces Van Buren's path from a village school and a law office to the bar in 1803. It names the people who shaped his early career, including William P. Van Ness, a close friend and defender of Aaron Burr. It also lists his offices: surrogate of Columbia County, state senator, attorney-general of New York, and United States senator. This reveals how a local lawyer rose through state and federal politics in the early republic.

Look closer

  • Which people does the article name as influential in Van Buren's early career, and what role does it give each?
  • Which offices does the entry list, and which details of his personal life does it include?
  • Who wrote the article, and how might an encyclopedia writer decide what to leave out?

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