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The son of poor Scotch-Irish immigrants, Andrew Jackson was the first President of the United States born in a log cabin. Orphaned at the age of 14, Jackson relied on the kindness of relatives for support.
As a teen, the young Jackson nearly died of smallpox in a prison camp during the American Revolution. He bore lifelong scars acquired when, as a prisoner of war, he refused to clean the boots of an enemy officer.
From the beginning, he displayed a fiery temper and dogged persistence. His aggressive independent lifestyle and manner made him a target of rumors for much of his early life.
Fortunately, Andrew Jackson directed his attributes and abilities into positive channels which led to state and federal politics, and eventually to the Presidency of the United States. Despite limited formal education, he became first a schoolteacher, then a lawyer, eventually becoming a judge, landowner, merchant, and general in the United States Army.
The road to the White House began when Jackson came to national attention as the military mastermind of the American victory at the Battle of New Orleans. Although a fierce soldier, he possessed a certain gentle nature which manifested itself in his respect for women and love of little children. He was tough as "Old Hickory," but harbored lifelong regrets for the slanderous attacks suffered by his beloved wife, Rachel, at the hands of his political enemies. He had no children of his own, but adopted and raised four orphaned nephews.
As President, Jackson increased the power of the Executive Office while reiterating states' responsibilities and individual rights for the common man. He believed that no group, class, or agency was entitled to special political or economic advantage. The Age of Jackson followed his election and Jacksonian Democracy was committed to the principle that all men were equal in their relationship with government.
By the end of Andrew Jackson's presidency there was no national debt, a condition that has not been duplicated by any subsequent United States president. The legacy of Andrew Jackson stands today as an example of what one determined individual can accomplish despite adversity.
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Andrew Jackson