How could Martin van Buren who was born in 1782 when Delaware the first state did not become a state until 1787 be the first president born a United States citizen?

Answer 1

Delaware was already a state when in 1787 it was the first State to sign the Constitution of the United States of America. Before European settlers in the region now known as the State of Delaware, there lived the Eastern Algonquin tribes known as the Unami Lenape. The Dutch were the first Europeans to settle in what is now known as Delaware in 1631. However, a year after settling and building a trading outpost at Zwaanendael, they were massacred by area natives arising from a dispute. In 1638 a Swedish outpost was established at Fort Christina now known as Fort Wilmington. While Swedish Fort Christina was built by a consortium of Swedes, Finns and Dutch which was led by Peter Minuit. In 1651 Dutchman Peter Stuyvesant led the re-invigorated Dutch to establish a stronghold in what is now called New Castle and four years later would take over the entire colony of Delaware only to lose it to a British expedition led by James, the Duke of York nine years after that.

In 1682 the Duke of York passed ownership to William Penn who wanted the new land for better access to the sea for his Pennsylvania province and this newly leased land became known as the Lower Counties on the Delaware, because of its proximity to the Delaware River. Penn established a representative government and briefly combined both property acquisitions under one General Assembly. This changed, however, by 1704 because Pennsylvania had grown so large the populace desired more autonomy and less restriction by the "lower counties". So the groups of representatives began meeting separately, one in Philadelphia the other at New Castle. Either Penn or his heirs remained proprietor of both states and would appoint a Governor for Pennsylvania and the Lower Counties on the Delaware. This might be what has led to the confusion of the question, as it could seem that because the Governor of Pennsylvania was also the Governor of Delaware but the practice of appointing Governors to govern two states was not uncommon and New York and New Jersey shared a Governor and Massachusetts and New Hampshire shared a Governor as well.

Before the Revolution, Delaware seemed ambivalent about breaking with England. The populace enjoyed a comfortable relationship with Britain and enjoyed more freedom in their actions when it came to the General Assembly. Even so, there was a strong distaste for Parliaments intrusive legislation and it was understood that the survival of their territory depended much upon the actions of their neighbors, especially Pennsylvania. Thus, Thomas McKean a New Castle lawyer denounced the Stamp Act and John Dickinson known as the "Penman of the Revolution" began writing in earnest eloquence his letters defending liberty that became known as Letters From a Farmer in Pennsylvania. McKean's perspicacity foresaw the signing of the Declaration of Independence and he, along with Caesar Rodney convinced the Colonial Assembly to declare independence from both Britain and the state of Pennsylvania on June 15, 1776.

After the Revolution Delaware was among those states that strongly supported a bicameral legislation and once the Connecticut Compromise secured this upper and lower house of legislation, on December 7, 1787 Delaware became the first state to ratify the new Constitution.

Martin Van Buren, 8th President of the United States was not born in Delaware but in a small Dutch community in the village of Kinderhook, New York near Albany. The Dutch first settled in Delaware ,and "Matty" Van Buren is of Dutch ancestry; but that is the only real connection. Van Buren was the first American-born President or rather the First President to serve who was not of British decent and the First President born an American citizen.