Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson was born on March 15th, 1767 in Waxhaw, which is on the border of North Carolina and South Carolina, as the youngest of three children.  He never met his father, who was also named Andrew Jackson, because he had died a few weeks earlier in result of a logging mishap.  His mother was Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson, who cared for injured Continental soldiers during the Revolutionary War.  Jackson’s primary education was very different and irregular, but he was able to obtain books on law to read and educate himself to be an aspiring young lawyer.

At the age of 13, Andrew and his two older brothers, Hugh and Robert, joined the Continental Army as couriers.   When the British invaded their hometown, Hugh was killed and Robert and Andrew were captured.  During their captivity, it is said that Andrew stood up to the British when he refused to clean their shoes and was slashed on the hand and forehead by the soldier’s sword, though some say it was just accidental as the soldier was poking fun at him.  Nearing the end of captivity, Andrew and Robert caught small pox, which resulted in the death of Robert.  When Elizabeth came to get her children, she too caught the small pox and died while she was serving as a nurse to Continental soldiers.  This left Andrew all alone, without a single immediate family member.

After moving back to the Carolinas, Jackson decided to further educate himself in the study of law.  Under the wing of Spruce Macay, Jackson learned much and was soon admitted to the bar in 1787.  He served as a public prosecutor to the Mero area of North Carolina.  He soon became very successful and bought up much land and many slaves.

In 1791, Jackson moved to Tennessee to serve the same position that he had served prior in North Carolina. It was also around this time that he became married to Rachel Robards, the daughter of John Donelson, whom was boarding Jackson.  Although Jackson thought that Rachel’s divorce with Lewis Robards was final, the earlier marriage was not completely void until 1794, which caused Jackson a few problems later on in life.

Andrew Jackson was a very fiery man with great pride.  He would not tolerate it if someone insulted his name, actions, or friends.  This vanity leads to Jackson partaking in many duels, which he was highly skilled in.  Among these many duels, Jackson’s most known standoff was against Charles Dickinson.  Dickinson fired his shot first, hitting Jackson square in the chest, but he did not even budge.  Drawing his pistol, Jackson put a fatal bullet into the body of his opponent.