Martin attended Kinderhook's one-room schoolhouse until age fourteen—an unusually advanced education for a child whose family needed his labor. After classes, he often helped in his father’s tavern, which was frequented by prominent lawyers and politicians, including Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. Snapshots from the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 school years are available in the links below. He was of Dutch ancestry and grew up in relative poverty. He was finished with with formal education by the age of 14. Martin, whose childhood nickname was “Little Mat,” began his education at the village school and later attended the Kinderhook Academy. Van Buren did not attend college - which was unsurprising for young men in the early nineteenth century - but his father called in a political favor and managed to place his son with a lawyer's office as a law clerk. He studied law and held various political positions before serving as U.S. senator, as secretary of state and as vice president. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1803. The data captures the schools learning environment and student performance. He worked at his father's tavern and attended a small local school. Martin Van Buren High School. Martin Van Buren was the first American president who was born as the citizen of United States, free from the British colonial rule. The School Quality Snapshot provides families with a summary of each school. Martin Van Buren was born on December 5, 1782, in Kinderhook, New York. Martin Van Buren was born on December 5, 1782 in Kinderhook, New York. Know more about his profile, childhood, life & timeline in this biography.