▁He ▁later ▁joined ▁the ▁Jefferson ian ▁Republic ans , ▁became ▁active ▁in ▁local ▁politics ▁and ▁government , ▁and ▁served ▁as ▁Kinder hook ' s ▁town ▁cl erk ▁from ▁ 1 7 8 7 ▁to ▁ 1 7 9 7 . ▁In ▁ 1 7 7 6 , ▁Abraham ▁Van ▁Bur en ▁married ▁Maria ▁Ho es ▁( or ▁Go es ) ▁Van ▁Al en ▁( 1 7 4 7 – 1 8 1 8 ), ▁the ▁wid ow ▁of ▁Johannes ▁Van ▁Al en . ▁▁ ▁Although ▁both ▁Abraham ▁and ▁Maria ▁Van ▁Bur en ▁were ▁fifth ▁generation ▁residents ▁of ▁the ▁Province ▁of ▁New ▁York , ▁all ▁of ▁their ▁for eb ears ▁were ▁of ▁Dutch ▁ancest ry , ▁as ▁was ▁the ▁case ▁for ▁most ▁of ▁Kinder hook ' s ▁residents , ▁and ▁they ▁still ▁spoke ▁Dutch ▁as ▁their ▁first ▁language . ▁The ▁future ▁U . S . ▁President ▁was ▁bapt ized ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 7 8 2 , ▁as ▁" Ma arten ▁Van ▁Bur en ", ▁the ▁original ▁Dutch ▁sp elling ▁of ▁his ▁name . ▁He ▁had ▁four ▁full ▁sib lings ▁and ▁three ▁half - s ib lings . ▁ ▁Sib lings ▁From ▁his ▁mother ' s ▁first ▁marriage ▁to ▁Johannes ▁Van ▁Al en , ▁Van ▁Bur en ' s ▁half - s ib lings ▁included : ▁ <0x09> ▁ ▁Mary t je ▁( or ▁Maria ) ▁Van ▁Al en ▁( 1 7 6 8 – 1 8 2 9 ), ▁who ▁married ▁John ▁L . ▁Ho es . ▁▁▁ ▁John