Dec
02
5 Random Things About Andrew Jackson
By
Image by JoWiJo via Flickr
What do people do more than anything else during the holidays? That’s right, spend money. So here are 5 random facts about the man on the face of the most popular piece of paper in America.
- Andrew Jackson was born on March 15, 1767 on the border between North and South Carolina. Although his exact birthplace is unknown, legend has it that he was born in a cabin just on the South Carolina side of the border.
- Andrew Jackson was an able military commander. Jackson was able to win the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812, with a smaller force than the British had. His actions in the First Seminole War, and his later occupation of Pensacola, Florida, would lead Spain to cede its claim on Florida in 1821. His toughness on the battlefield led his soldiers to nickname him Old Hickory.
- Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States. However, he ran for president in 1824, and was almost the sixth president. In a hotly contested election that had four candidates, Jackson won the popular vote, and had a plurality in the Electoral College, but he did not have a majority. As such, the vote went to the House of Representatives, who elected John Quincy Adams. The ruling shocked Jackson, who believed that Adams had struck a corrupt bargain with Henry Clay (one of the other candidates), as Adams named Clay secretary of state in exchange for Clay’s support.
- By 1835, Andrew Jackson had reduced the national debt to a mere $33,733.05. He would eventually pay off the national debt, and has been the only president to ever accomplish that feat.
- Andrew Jackson was the first president to face an assassination attempt. On January 30, 1835, Richard Lawrence attempted to kill Jackson outside the Capitol building using two single-shot pistols. Lawrence pulled out the first pistol, aimed at the president’s heart, and squeezed the trigger. Nothing happened. As Lawrence calmly reached for the second pistol, Jackson charged at him with his cane. The second pistol misfired as well. Legend has it that Jackson attacked Lawrence with his cane, and had to be restrained by startled onlookers, which included Davy Crockett.
Bonus: Andrew Jackson is on the $20 bill, which is ironic considering his opposition to having a central bank during his presidency. As a matter of fact, he allowed the charter on the Second National Bank of the United States to lapse during his presidency.
Did you find this post interesting? You should check out American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House
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i love this post. jackson has been my top president because of #4 and the bonus since i did a report on him in middle school!
I like him because of #5. A man tries to kill him, so he beats him with his cane. Obama calls Kanye a jackass, and everybody cries about a lack of decorum. This country has gone soft.
6) Andrew Jackson spent his whole life acting out his vendetta against Native Americans, ultimately signing the Indian Removal Act of 1830, forcing them on the “Trail of Tears”, a deadly march which forcibly relocated Native Americans beyond the frontier. In the Nazi Death Camp-like march, over 4,000 Native Americans perished
Yeah, great guy, that Jackson. A racist and a terrorist.
Jackson used Indian troops who fought by his side. He made promises to those troops. He then betrayed them. Some of those same Indians were part of the Trail of Tears.
I’ve always considered the Presidency of Jackson as a stain on American history. He was quite theatrical and brought a “feel good” super patriotism notion to his administration, with super populism that appealed to the common man, but many common men and woman truly suffered from his policies. Not unlike the last President.
It wasn’t exactly as you imply ‘a vigilante American President with a taste for Native American blood.’
As a ’sign of the times’ the Supreme Court ruled against American Indians being a soverign nation.
Old Hickory, populist defender of individual liberties. Well, except for the liberties of the Native Americans, who were forcibly removed from their homelands and their land given to, you know, *real* Americans.
You also can’t forget about the fact that he went over the heads of the Supreme Court in order to sign the Indian Removal Act. He wasn’t called “King Andrew I” for nothing.
Actually, the Indian Removal Act was passed by the 21st Congress. The nickname King Andrew actually came from the fact that he vetoed Congress when they attempted to extend the charter of the 2nd National Bank of the United States, and that wasn’t until 1832.
It’s amazing that despite all of his accomplishments, the only ones that anybody ever wants to point out were his Native American policies. IT WAS 1830! Women couldn’t vote, and black people were still slaves. Let’s not forget that the Indian Removal Act actually passed in Congress, and that in 1823 the Supreme Court ruled that Native Americans “could occupy lands within the United States, but could not hold title to those lands.” You have to look at him with cultural relativity in mind. If we only looked at historical figures through today’s eyes, everyone before us would be a savage.
So we are to look at his inhumanity using cultural relativity, but embrace his accomplishments without such context?
The trail of tears was an abominable accomplishment at any time. Context does not pretty it up.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to excuse the Indian Removal Act or the genocide that followed. What I am saying is that Andrew Jackson’s policies reflected the attitudes of the time. If we are going to ignore Jackson’s accomplishments because he followed the policies of his contemporaries, then we should ignore George Washington’s accomplishments because he forcibly removed Indians from the Northwest Territory and he owned slaves. We should ignore the accomplishments of every president before the 20th century because they had the same policies. What do you think Manifest Destiny was?
Your comment re: “cultural relativity” is based on an incomplete view of history. How early in American history was the Abolitionist movement started? How early in American history were whites trading with Native Americans as equals? How early in American history? I recommend that you look into the economic interests in America who stood to profit from westward expansion and resource exploitation, including common settlers who strongly desired land for homesteading their own families and whom the American government refused to constrain.
That still doesn’t suggest that Andrew Jackson is any more “evil” than the 6 presidents that preceded him, or the 16 that followed him with their anti-Indian policies.
Anderw jafferson wus a real merkin patreot, just like John Wain and Suruh Paylen and that is why we all is wantin’ are country back like glen bick and dale eurnhert on nine-11 like patreot bawld egulls a-flying up yunder in th’ air.
[Citation needed]
I nearly wet my pants laughing at this comment. Either that or it was my bladder infection.
Also because of Jackson, the Democratic party’s symbol is a donkey.
That’s right. According to the Democratic Party website, his opponents labeled him a jackass because of his populist views and his slogan, “Let the people rule.” But he turned it to his advantage and used it on campaign posters. Thanks for the comment, hani!
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This post was mentioned on Twitter by HistoryOfAll: Tis the season to spend money! 5 Random Things About Andrew Jackson, the man on the $20: http://su.pr/A4s93P...
You are right on the money with this post, keep up the good work!