Andrew Jackson was born in a backwoods settlement in the Carolinas in 1767. He received a spotty education, but in his later teens, he read law for about two years and became an excellent lawyer in the state of Tennessee. It should be noted that Jackson was fiercely defensive of his "honor" and he eventually killed a man in a duel who hurled slurs towards his wife, Rachel Jackson.
Jackson was nothing like the founding fathers that had come before him. He prospered from his ownership of slaves and used the profits to build a large mansion, the Hermitage, near Nashville. He was also the first man elected from Tennessee to the House of Representatives and served briefly in the Senate.
Jackson was a major general in the War of 1812 and became a national hero when he defeated the British at New Orleans. However, some of Jackson's other political decisions did not go over as well. He suggested that Congress remove the Electoral College, a practice that is still used in deciding the new president today. He also tried to democratize Federal office positions, which didn't go over well with republicans for obvious reasons.
Despite all these bad ideas, Jackson had overwhelming approval from the nation. He earned more than 56% of the vote and was voted to stay for a second term. He led the country for another four years until he retired to the Hermitage, where he died in June 1845
Fun Facts:
- Jackson liked to duel with guns. In one such duel, he was shot in the chest by his opponent but managed to stay upright and kill his opponent.
- The aforementioned bullet could not be removed from his chest and remained lodged in place for forty years.
- An assassin once tried to shot Jackson with two pistols. Lucky for Jackson both pistols misfired.
Andrew Jackson:
Thanks for adding the dates Jackson served as president.
ReplyDelete