Person attributes
Who was Andrew Jackson?
Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the United States and the first one to be elected from the ‘Democratic Party.’ He was a lawyer, planter, and army man, but is mostly remembered as one of the greatest presidents of the United States. After being tortured in captivity of the British army and orphaned as a teenager, he developed a fierce hatred towards the British, which would become the driving force for the rest of his life. He gained national fame because of his role in the ‘War of 1812,’ where he won decisive victories over the Indians and the main British army at the ‘Battle of New Orleans.’ After losing in the first attempt, he was elected as president of the United States in his second attempt. He was the first president to truly embrace the powers of the presidency. He strongly believed in preserving the union and power of democracy. Although his personal life was highly criticized and remained a cause of discomfort throughout his life, he never surrendered to his opponents and kept fighting until the end of his life. He is regarded as one of the most influential US presidents in history, as well as one of the most aggressive and controversial. He is often referred to as the first ‘people’s president’ for expanding the role of the president from mere executive to an active representative of the people.
Career
In 1796, he was elected as a delegate to the Tennessee constitutional convention. He was elected as Tennessee’s U.S. Representative, after it achieved statehood.
In 1797, he was elected U.S. Senator as a Democratic-Republican, but he resigned within a year.
From 1798 to 1804, he served as the judge of the Tennessee Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, in 1801, he was appointed commander of the Tennessee militia, with the rank of colonel.
He served in the ‘War of 1812’ and his troops defeated the British in New Orleans under his leadership. After this military success, he was appointed Major General.
In 1817, during the ‘First Seminole War,’ he and his troops captured Pensacola, Florida. He was named Florida's military governor in March 1821.
In 1822, he was nominated for presidential elections by the Tennessee legislature and he was also elected as its U.S. Senator. But Jackson lost the 1824 presidential elections to John Quincy Adams.
In 1828, he re-contested for the post of the president and involved John C. Calhoun, Martin Van Buren, and Thomas Ritchie in his campaign. This time, he defeated Adams and became the seventh president of the United States.
For the 1832 elections, he was again nominated as the presidential candidate by the ‘Democratic Party.’ The rechartering of the ‘Second National Bank’ became the primary issue during this election and he vetoed the bill, believing that the bank was basically a corrupt monopoly whose stock was mostly held by foreigners. His decision earned him the favor of the common man and he was re-elected as the president of the United States.
