Andrew Jackson, in my eyes, is sort of a hero. He is the only president that completely payed off the federal deficit and demolished the Second Bank. He was born in 1767 to two recently immigrated parents, and at the age of 13, started helping the local militia as a courier during the Revolutionary War.
He, along with his brother Robert, were captured by British troops, and were nearly starved to death. During this time, he got a sword scar from his captors. His mother had been working on the release forever, and when it did work, his brother died almost immediately, and his mother died within the same year.
Andrew quit fighting and studied law in Salisbury, North Carolina. He set up his practice in Jonesborough after passing the bar. From 1788-1804, he served in a variety of public offices, including Congressman and Senator.
During this time, he also established his house a little ways outside of Nashville, Tennessee. It is still around today, and is called the Hermitage. The Hermitage ended up being one of the most important plantations, with up to 150 slaves working on it.
When the War of 1812 broke out, Jackson was known for his bravery, success, and also for his stubbornness. He was so tough in combat, that he earned the nickname “Old Hickory.” After the war, he was once again elected to the Senate in 1822, nominated for pres. In the upcoming election. It turned out that he was beaten in the Electoral College, the votes going to John Quincy Adams, and Andrew did everything he could to ensure that he would win the next election.
He did win, and during his inauguration ball in the White House, he had decided to invite the public into the ball as well. He was the first president to use the veto power, killing many bills. His initial choices for cabinet members hadn’t been good ones, so he had had to replace them in the first 2 years of his election.
Another thing Jackson did was refuse to renew the charter of the Second Bank, and he charged the bank with using its privileges to profit the bankers in the system. Like I mentioned earlier, he paid off the entire federal deficit, by 1835, and 1836 was the last year that America didn’t have a deficit.
The Jacksonians were like democrats, and they worked to expand the power of the executive branch, as well as broaden involvement in the public sector.
They also promoted geographic expansion, especially westward. One thing I don’t like about Jackson is the way he treated the Indians and slaves. They were mostly ignored, and it was under him that the bill stating that slaves didn’t count as people was signed.
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