Due to the type of environment that Jackson was in, he was often quoted as not being educated and as being an ignorant individual, but he did gain some experiences that taught him more than a formal education could. At the age of thirteen, Andrew Jackson was confronted with a terrible tragedy: his brother Hugh, who fought with the rebel militia, was killed by British allied forces. This prompted Andrew to join the rebels despite any danger to himself. Although he was not allowed to fight directly with the British for a time, he was allowed to “serve as a scout and courier” (Brands 20). Jackson and his brother Robert did eventually end up fighting the British forces, and Brands retells a momentous account where Jackson refuses to submit to …show more content…
The following year, Jackson moved to Nashville, Tennessee. When Jackson moved to Nashville, he lodged with a woman named Rachel Donelson. Rachel was recently separated from her husband Lewis Robards, so she moved to Nashville. After Jackson moved in, since he needed a place to stay, Lewis wanted to get back together with his wife, and seeing that Jackson lived there, developed suspicions. Eventually, Robards left his wife permanently on account of his continued insults towards Jackson and Rachel. Afterwards, Andrew Jackson and Rachel Donelson got married, even though the marriage was not completely legal considering the fact that Rachel’s divorce was not finalized due to Robards’ opposition. Their legal marriage took place in 1794. In the meantime, Jackson became a wealthy landowner and took part in the creation of the constitution of Tennessee in 1796. The same year, Jackson was elected to be the first state representative of Tennessee in the House of Representatives. After becoming a senator for a short while, Jackson served as a state court judge for six years until 1804. In 1804 Jackson also acquired a plantation called “the Hermitage,” and the number of slaves expanded exponentially on the plantation since Jackson assumed ownership. This may hint toward his views on slavery since he “didn’t second-guess the Creator regarding those existential evils…who, on Jackson’s reading of the Bible, allowed bound labor-regarding slavery” (Brands 72). This showed that Jackson was largely influenced by religion, and he did not oppose slavery, which showed his stance on issues regarding race. In fact, this was also reinforced by Jackson’s “acquiring” of slaves. Back to Jackson’s political and military career, Jackson was given the position as the main leader of the Tennessee militia. Perhaps his biggest and most influential role as a military figure started with
This journey that the Native Americans traveled was called the “Trail of Tears.” In class, Mr. Moore taught us that he owned slaves. Andrew Jackson’s slave holdings increased one hundred and fifty percent during his lifetime. He had the most slaves during his presidency. Others might say
Andrew Jackson and the Search for Vindication was written by James C. Curtis as part of the Library of American Biography Series. He offers a pseudo psychological account of the life of Andrew Jackson that gives the reader a new perspective on the full life of our founding fathers. The reader will enjoy the unique perspective he gives to Jacksons childhood; you hear a lot about what our founding fathers did when they were older so it is refreshing to hear about the problems he had when he was younger. The book does a great job on making Andrew Jackson sound more like a normal person and not some perfect founding father that no average person would ever be able to become. However, with this new perspective on the childhood, he also brings
One piece of evidence which supports this states, “In 1804, Jackson purchased a 425-acre farm, later known as the Hermitage, where he built a plantation and used enslaved people to labor in his fields (President of the People - American Stories Textbook Pages 364-365 - Paragraph 3).” This piece from the textbook explains that Jackson had no issue using slaves for labor, showing his approval of the system. This again plays into his idea of inferiority and heavy difference between the two sides. Although there is no difference between people with different colors of skin, Jackson still felt that he was above those who were darker than him. He supported the idea of using them as slaves and did so on his farm.
It was made even more complicated by the distances involved and the changing governmental authorities. (For example, during the process of Rachel and Robards divorce Kentucky became a state instead of a territory of Virginia and North Carolina turned over management of the territory including Tennessee to the Federal Government). Thus, the unusual circumstances of the Jackson marriage were not greatly discussed in Nashville society. However, during the mudslinging in the presidential campaign of 1828, Rachel’s virtue became a subject of great discussion and political spin by the supporters of Jackson’s opponent, John Quincy Adams.
He was a part of the Democratic-Republic Party and then the Democratic Party. He was also the United States senator from Tennessee, the Military Governor of Florida, a justice on the Tennessee Supreme Court from 1798 to 1804, and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee’s at-large district. He resided in Tennessee for most of his life. Jackson believed
In the journal article “ Andrew Jackson versus the Historians”, author Charles G. Sellers explained the various interpretations of Jackson, from the viewpoint of Whig historians and Progressive Historians. These interpretations were based on the policies of Jackson. The Whig historians viewed the former president in a negative way. They considered him arrogant, ignorant, and not fit for being president. Sellers pointed out that it was not just because of “Jackson’s personality…nor was it the general policies he pursued as president”
Andrew Jackson was elected the seventh president of the United States in 1828. Jackson is known for the founding the Democratic Party and his support of individual liberty. In 1791 laying the foundation of Tennessee Jackson became the Attorney General district around Nashville. Andrew became Tennessee’s first member of the U.S House of Representatives, he served a year. Then he was elected to be its U.S. Senator, serving another year.
The era of Andrew Jackson which was nicknames the era of the “common man” certainly lived up to its name. As the seventh President of the United States, Jackson had a major effect on the life of the common man, in such a way that the life of the common man would never be the same again. Jackson’s aim, after the manner in which he was defeated in the Presidential Election of 1824, despite receiving more popular votes than John Quincy Adams who took on the office, was to reduce the power and the authority of the elite. When he came into power after the 1828 election Jackson began to carry out his proposals. Jackson expanded the voting right to all men, in accordance with the Declaration of Independence of 1776 which declared that “all men are created equal” instead of just the elite.
Jackson, like the common man back then, supported slavery. He killed, and took the land from millions of Native Americans and push them west. This was known as the Trail of Tears, the saddest time in history of the Native Americans. He vetoed the re-charter of the Bank of the United States by abusing
Andrew Jackson is a democrat which means he treats the people equally. He was able to make the people vote for presidential electors, he also wanted all social classes to be equal and also saying that the government can’t misuse power and
Brittany Randall-Neppl APUSH Period 6 Mr. Kloster 12/19/2014 Andrew Jackson: Champion of the Common Man or Tyrant Andrew Jackson was born into a common life but overcame his mediocre beginnings to become a powerful politician; in 1828 he was elected president of the United States. However, he abused this position of power and made several choices that were detrimental to the welfare and rights of the American people. Jackson implemented the spoils system on a national scale and had unofficial members of his cabinet who did not have to answer to Congress. After South Carolinians were upset by the Tariff of 1832 he was angry toward those who did not agree with it. He also destroyed the National Bank and authorized the Specie Circular.
Andrew Jackson during his time was considered a very patriotic politician he hated the rich, he hated the Indian, and loved the idea of slavery. It has been said that he grew up not educated and had a bad up bring but still managed to get to a high political suture. Jackson at one point was general and had a very decorated portfolio, which made sense he would become president, Andrew was most well know for “The Battle of New Orleans” where Andrew Jackson, prevented the British Army and General Edward Pakenham, from seizing New Orleans nearing the end of that war.
One of the biggest thing that Jackson had done as a president was in 1832. Jackson vetoed a bill that would renew the second bank charter early. Jackson stated “I will kill it!”. He said this because he didn’t like the bank at all and he believed that it made the rich richer and the poor poorer. He said in his veto message “It is easy to conceive that great evils to our country and its institutions might flow from such a concentration of power in the hands of a few men irresponsible to the people.”
My opinion on Andrew Jackson is that he was a brave man, great spokesmen, and he was intelligent. Jackson had a great military success along with a knowledgeable success in the law field and in time leading up to presidency. People know Jackson from leading his army and defeating the British, along with becoming a great and honorable leader. Jackson went to Military school when he was only a young 13 year old boy. His mother was a widow leaving him to do a lot of chores and responsibility to him.
Born into a non-aristocratic poor family, somewhere in the Carolina’s on March 14, 1767, was a man named Andrew Jackson. Jackson, also called “Old Hickory” was a very bold proactive man in American history. From being a military hero and founding the democratic party to enacting the trail of tears and dismantling the of the Bank of the United States, the man and his legacy are a prominent topic for scholarly debate. Some believe he was a great president and some believe he was the worse president. But if you look at it from a moral perceptive or in the eyes of a foreigner, Jackson’s legacy was far more villainous than heroic.