Martin Van Buren Was the Only President Who Spoke English as a Second Language

American presidents typically solely use English. However, there have also been a few bilingual presidents over the years. James Monroe and John Adams were two early presidents who spoke French well. The Roosevelts, as well as Bill Clinton, were somewhat fluent in German. Some even knew Latin. However, Martin Van Buren was the only person who not only spoke Dutch, but also had English as a second language.

In Kinderhook, New York, where Van Buren was born, the majority of the locals were of Dutch ancestry and spoke Dutch as their mother tongue. He is the only president to have spoken English as a second language. He was the first president to be born following the American Revolution, in which his father served as a patriot.

He entered politics as a member of the Democratic-Republican Party after receiving legal training, earned a position in the New York State Senate, and was chosen to serve in the Senate in 1821. As the leader of the Bucktails group, Van Buren became the most significant New York politician in the 1820s and founded the Albany Regency, a political machine.

Van Buren's family was Dutch, and despite the fact that he was born in Kinderhook, New York, he spoke Dutch as a child before learning English. At that time, any given community's tavern—which his father owned—essentially served as the center of political action. He would have been exposed to politics at a young age since people would gather, drink, and discuss politics.

• 8th President of the United States

Born: Maarten van Buren, December 5, 1782Kinderhook, New York, U.S.
Died: July 24, 1862 (aged 79)Kinderhook, New York, U.S.