Hannah Van Buren

Hannah Hoes Van Buren (born Hannah Hoes; March 8, 1783 – February 5, 1819) was the wife of Martin Van Buren, the eighth President of the United States. She was married to Van Buren in 1807 and was his childhood friend and cousin. At the time of their marriage, she was 23 years old, and he was 24. The couple had five children, one of whom died in infancy.

Hannah Hoes Van Buren died from tuberculosis at the age of 35, prior to Martin Van Buren assuming the presidency. She passed away on February 5, 1819. During Van Buren's presidency, his daughter-in-law, Angelica Van Buren, served as the White House hostess and effectively functioned as First Lady, since Van Buren was widowed before holding the office.

There is limited information available about Hannah Hoes Van Buren's life, and she did not receive a prominent public profile. When Martin Van Buren authored his autobiography, he did not mention his wife, possibly to prevent public reference to her. He remained widowed for the rest of his life and did not remarry.

References to her can be found in biographies and historical records, including resources such as the biography on whitehouse.gov and the C-SPAN program "First Ladies: Influence & Image." Media related to Hannah Van Buren is available on Wikimedia Commons.