Introduction Portrait of General Andrew Jackson Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division 6
A ndrew Jackson’s road to the United States presidency was a bumpy one to say the least A difficult childhood and limited schooling were among the early hurdles Jackson overcame Professionally he faced political infighting party favoritism and the stigma of being a nontraditional can didate from Tennessee which at the time of his election in 1828 was considered a Western state Through all this Jackson persevered and as this book details became a pivotal president in the process In many ways Jackson’s childhood unfolded like a tragic work of fiction He and his two brothers were raised in South Carolina by a single mother Elizabeth who was widowed shortly before Andrew’s birth in 1767 Elizabeth is believed to have worked as her sister’s housekeeper to support her children The family’s lives were further upended by the American Revolutionary War After the eldest son was killed in bat tle his young brothers Andrew was only 13 at the time joined the colonial militia Captured by British forces in 1781 Andrew and his remaining brother Robert were taken prisoner Their mother eventually won their release but harsh treatment and 7
Andrew Jackson smallpox contracted while in prison wound up taking Robert’s life Elizabeth died soon after leaving young Andrew virtually alone in the world The experiences of his early life left Jackson understandably edgy and hot-headed As an adult he was known for settling even minor disagreements by challenging oppo nents to a duel A controlled version of that fighting spirit served him well as the first congressional representative from the new state of Tennessee in 1796 The next year he was elected to the U S Senate and later was appointed to the Tennessee supreme court His combative nature also proved useful when he was asked to take up arms against the British once again during the War of 1812 An officer in the Tennessee militia Jackson sup pressed a Creek Indian uprising in the South before leading his troops in a victory over the British in the Battle of New Orleans Jackson also played an important role in the First Seminole War which hastened the U S acquisition of Florida Jackson’s early life shaped his character and his military service made him a war hero The latter helped him become president and the former couldn’t help but influence 8
Introduction his actions while in office Jackson made his tory by being the first president to hail from an area west of the Appalachian Mountains Furthermore Jackson did not owe his victory to the support of a well-established political party which was the traditional means of getting elected Instead he won by appealing directly to voters During his presidency Jackson faced conflicts with Native American tribes the threat of secession by South Carolina over tariffs and soaring inflation Many would argue that these trouble spots were either created or made worse by Jackson’s firm poli cies Certainly his administration’s refusal to stop the illegal seizure of Cherokee land in Georgia followed by the forcible removal of the Indians who resisted orders to leave left a permanent stain on Jackson’s record Yet through his stern leadership he man aged to carve out a legacy that also included achievements such as increasing the power of the presidency and greatly advancing the development of popular democracy As a mili tary leader politician and president Andrew Jackson was a fascinating personality and certainly a key figure in U S history 9
