Career

After six years of studying law, Van Buren passed the New York bar in 1803. He returned to Kinderhook, New York, to establish his private practice. As a Jeffersonian Republican, Van Buren's practice often consisted of defending—very often, successfully—the interests of local farmers and merchants in land and contract disputes against the landed gentry, who were typically Federalists. By 1807 his reputation as a lawyer had grown beyond Kinderhook, and he was admitted as a counselor to the New York Supreme Court.

A year later, in 1808, Van Buren was appointed to his first political office, surrogate of Columbia County, New York (a surrogate is an officer with jurisdiction over the settling of wills and estates). He held that position until 1812, when he was elected to the state senate. At this time a power struggle was being conducted between two factions of his political party, the Democratic-Republicans. Van...