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Andrew Jackson is born in Waxhaw Settlement in South Carolina to a family of poor Irish immigrants. His parents were Andrew and Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson, and he had 2 brothers, Hugh and Robert. His father had died 3 weeks before he was born.
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Jackson became orphaned because of the Revolutionary War. He worked as a courier and delivered messages between groups of soldiers. He was captured by British soldiers and also got smallpox, but later recovered.
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When Jackson was 13, he joined the militia and worked as courier, delivering messages between groups of men. His older brother, Hugh died in a battle. Andrew and Robert were captured by British soldiers and were starved. They both contracted smallpox, and Robert died a few days after their release.
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Andrew's mother dies from cholera, and he becomes an orphan at age 14.
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In his late teens, Jackson began studying law. He became an exceptional lawyer and became a lawyer in Jonesborough, Tennessee.
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Andrew Jackson met Rachel Donelson Robards in 1788. However, she was unhappily married at this time. In 1791, Andrew Jackson and Rachel were officially married, although Rachel was still married to her previous man. These charges of bigamy were brought upon Andrew Jackson's presidential campaigns. When Andrew found out she was still married, he quickly called for a divorce. They re-married the same year, after Rachel's divorce for her first man was legal.
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Jackson participated in the convention where the Tennessee Constitution was written in 1796, and in the same year, he was elected as the first representative in the House of Representatives. The following year, Jackson was elected to Senate, but he resigned after working for 8 months.
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Jackson was elected as a judge of the Tennessee Supreme Court. He served in this position for 6 years.
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The War of 1812 caused Jackson to gain his fame among the people of the United States. He was given the nickname "Old Hickory" and was also called a national hero.
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Jackson was appointed major general of the American forces. After leading 5,000 Americans against 7,500 British soldiers and winning the battle, Jackson became a national hero. He received personal thanks from Congress and also received a gold medal. He gained his reputation and fame from this battle, causing him to win the Presidential Election of 1828.
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After fighting in the First Seminole War, Jackson captured parts of Florida. Eventually, because of the Adams-Onis Treaty, Florida became part of the U.S. and Jackson became the military governor for Florida.
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After being re-elected to Senate in 1822, Jackson became extremely successful and popular. In 1824, a Pennsylvania convention nominated him to run for president. Jackson won the popular vote in this election, but the House of Representatives chose John Q. Adams as president due to the Corrupt Bargain. This bargain was a deal to give Henry Clay the spot as Secretary of State, if all his supporters voted for John Q. Adams. This caused the Democratic-Republican party to split in half.
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The Tariff of 1828 was a tariff passed in order to preserve the North's economy. The South were angered by this tariff, as it didn't help their economy at all. They labeled this tariff the "Tariff of Abominations." This tariff led to South Carolina's Ordinance of Nullification.
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Due to Jackson's loss in 1824, all of his supporters were angered, which caused Jackson to be renominated the following year, in 1825, 3 years before the next election. Jackson won this election by a landslide, and John C. Calhoun became his vice president. Jackson's opponents call him a "jackass," a nickname he took a liking to. He ended up using the donkey as a symbol to represent himself. This symbol died out, but caused the donkey to be the symbol for the new Democratic Party.
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Andrew Jackson's wife dies from a heart attack. She was buried on Christmas Eve, two days later. Andrew Jackson blamed her death on the pressure that his opponents' supporters had put on her with their accuses of bigamy.
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Andrew Jackson was commonly known as the "people's president." He abolished the electoral college because of his belief that the people should have the power to elect the president and vice president. He became involved with many political debates, such as the Second National Bank, the Indian Removal Act, and the Nullification Act. He also intoduced the spoils system.
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Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, allowing him to relocate all Indian tribes west of the Mississippi River, into Oklahoma. They were often promised with supplies, but never received any of the supplies.
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In this court case, the Cherokees did not wish to be relocated to Oklahoma. The court ruled that the Cherokees were an independent nation, and they didn't have to move. However, Jackson overstepped his boundaries as president and removed the Cherokees with force. This caused the Trail of Tears, where many Cherokees died during the harsh winter while they were forced to move.
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This document stated that states could "nullify" certain taxes that they thought were unconstitutional. This caused the Nullification Crisis, where South Carolina threatened to secede. However, Jackson sent forces in order to force South Carolina to stay in the United States. The tariffs were lessened because of South Carolina's actions.
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Jackson won the re-election campaign against Henry Clay, with 56 percent of the popular vote. He ended up with 5 times as many electoral votes than his opponent.
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Jackson had openly displayed his belief that the bank was not good for the common man. It owned a monopoly over all the people's money, so Jackson continuously vetoed the renewal of the bank's charter. The bank closed down in January 1836, when its charter ran out. It broke into many different, smaller, local banks.
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The Cherokees were forced off their home territory by Jackson's forces. During this harsh winter, thousands of Cherokees died due to lack of supplies or lack of a way to keep warm.
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Andrew Jackson died of lead poisoning from two bullets that had remained in his body for several years. He died in his home, the Hermitage.