Who was the first president born in the independent United States?

The story behind the answer

Martin Van Buren, the 8th U.S. president, was born in 1782 in Kinderhook, New York—after the Declaration of Independence—making him the first president born a U.S. citizen. By contrast, George Washington (1732), John Adams (1735), and James Monroe (1758) were born when America was still a collection of British colonies, so they began life as British subjects.

Van Buren’s background also stands out: he was the first president of Dutch rather than British ancestry and the only one whose first language wasn’t English. A memory tip: think “V” for “Van Buren” and “Victory” after the Revolution—he’s the first born in the nation that victory created. His nickname “Old Kinderhook” (“OK”) also helps tie him to a distinctly American identity.