Andrew Jackson

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Portrait, Andrew JacksonAndrew Jackson 7th President of the United States (March 4, 1829 to March 3, 1837) Nickname: “Old Hickory” Born: March 15, 1767, in the Waxhaw area, on North Carolina-South Carolina border Died: June 8, 1845, at the Hermitage in Nashville, Tennessee

Father: Andrew Jackson Mother: Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson Married: Rachel Donelson Jackson (1767-1828), in August 1791 and in a second ceremony on January 17, 1794 Children: Andrew Jackson, Jr. (adopted) Religion: Presbyterian Education: No formal education Occupation: Lawyer, soldier Political Party: Democrat Other Government Positions:

  • Member of U.S. House of Representatives, 1796-97
  • United States Senator, 1797-98
  • Justice on Tennessee Supreme Court, 1798-1804
  • Governor of the Florida Territory, 1821
  • United States Senator, 1823-25

Presidential Salary: $25,000/year

Presidential Election Results:
YearPopular VotesElectoral Votes
1824tiny U.S. flag John Q. Adams108,74084
Andrew Jackson153,54499
Henry Clay47,13637
William H. Crawford46,61841
1828Andrew Jackson647,286178
tiny U.S. flag John Q. Adams508,06483
1832Andrew Jackson687,502219
Henry Clay530,18949
William Wirt7
John Floyd11
(Votes Not Cast)2

Vice Presidents: John C. Calhoun (1829-1832); tiny U.S. flag Martin Van Buren (1833-1837) Cabinet:

Secretary of State
tiny U.S. flag Martin Van Buren (1829-31)
Edward Livingston (1831-33)
Louis McLane (1833-34)
John Forsyth (1834-37)
Secretary of the Treasury
Samuel D. Ingham (1829-31)
Louis McLane (1831-33)
William J. Duane (1833)
Roger B. Taney (1833-34)
Levi Woodbury (1834-37)
Secretary of War
John H. Eaton (1829-31)
Lewis Cass (1831-36)
Attorney General
John M. Berrien (1829-31)
Roger B. Taney (1831-33)
Benjamin F. Butler (1833-37)
Postmaster General
William T. Barry (1829-35)
Amos Kendall (1835-37)
Secretary of the Navy
John Branch (1829-31)
Levi Woodbury (1831-34)
Mahlon Dickerson (1834-37)

Supreme Court Appointments:

Chief Justice
Roger Brooke Taney (1836-64)
Associate Justice
John McLean (1830-61)
Henry Baldwin (1830-44)
James Moore Wayne (1835-67)
Philip Pendleton Barbour (1836-41)
John Catron (1837-65)

Notable Events:

  • 1829
    • Estate of James Smithson funded the establishment of the Smithsonian.
    • About 2,000 of Jackson’s supporters given government jobs. Jackson also set up a “kitchen cabinet” of informal advisers.
  • 1830
    • Jackson authorizes Indian Removal Act of 1830.
  • 1831
    • Samuel F. Smith wrote “My Country, ’tis of Thee.”
  • 1832
    • Jackson reelected.
    • Jackson vetoed the rechartering of 2nd Bank leading to the creation of the Whig Party.
    • South Carolina attempted to nullify federal tariff laws. Federal troops sent to South Carolina on December 10.
  • 1835
    • U.S. became debt free (briefly) for the only time in history.
  • 1836
    • 6000 Mexicans defeated 190 Americans in 12 days at the Alamo on March 6. The Specie Circular ordered that gold and silver were the only currency acceptable for the purchase of federal lands, issued on July 11.
  • 1835
    • Jackson signs Treaty of New Echota with unrecognized leaders of Cherokee Nation, which allows him to force the Cherokees to move to land in what is now Oklahoma. 4,000 Native Americans die on this journey, also known as the Trail of Tears.

Internet Biographies:

Andrew Jackson — from The Presidents of the United States of America
Compiled by the White House.
Andrew Jackson — from American Presidents: Life Portraits — C-SPAN
Biographical information, trivia, key events, video, and other reference materials. Website created to accompany C-SPAN’s 20th Anniversary Television Series, American Presidents: Life Portraits.
Andrew Jackson — from U.S. Presidents
From the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, in addition to information on the Presidents themselves, they have first lady and cabinet member biographies, listings of presidential staff and advisers, and timelines detailing significant events in the lives of each administration.
A Brief Biography of Andrew Jackson, 1767 – 1845 — from From Revolution to Reconstruction
This not-so-brief biography was written by Hal Morris for the American Revolution HTML project. This original material goes into detail about his triumphs and controversies.

Historical Documents:

First Inaugural Address (1829)
Second Inaugural Address (1833)

Other Internet Resources:

Andrew Jackson State Park
This memorial to Jackson, located on 360-acres in Lancaster, South Carolina, includes a museum, campgrounds and resources for other outdoor activities.
The Hermitage
The home of Andrew Jackson. A brief description, history, archaeological plans and tourist information.

Points of Interest:

  • Jackson was the only president who served in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.
  • Jackson was the only president to have been a prisoner of war. He was thirteen when he joined the South Carolina militia to fight in the Revolutionary War. After his capture, he was ordered to clean the boots of a British officer. Jackson refused. The officer then drew his sword and slashed Jackson across the forehead, leaving a scar.
  • Jackson was the first president born in a log cabin.
  • Jackson was involved in many duels. A duel on May 30, 1806 against Charles Dickinson was over some unflattering remarks made about Jackson’s wife. In this duel Jackson was wounded. After he was hit, he took aim and fired at Dickinson. Jackson’s gun misfired. As Dickinson was forced to stand his ground, Jackson took aim once again and killed Dickinson. The bullet that wounded Jackson was lodged near his heart and could not be safely removed. He carried that bullet in his chest for the rest of his days.
  • Jackson was the first president to ride on a railroad train.

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©1996-2008. Robert S. Summers. All rights reserved.

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