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Jackson's Birth
Andrew Jackson was born in 1767 to Andrew and Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson who emigrated from Ireland. The exact location of his birth was unknown, though it was thought to have been at one of his uncle's houses. His father died 3 weeks before he was born. At age 13 he served as a messenger in the Revolutionary War. His older brother was killed in a battle in 1779 and Andrew and his brother, Robert, were captured by the British.When released, Robert died and later his mother died of illness. -
Jackson enlists in Revolutionary Army
Jackson's older brother, Hugh, died in a Battle of Stone Ferry. At the age of 13, Andrew and his brother, Robert, enlisted in the Revolutionary Army and fought with American irregulars. However the two were captured by the British and while in captivity, developed smallpox. A few days after being released, Robert died from the smallpox and later Andrew's mother died from illness. These events left Andrew Jackson as an orphan who lived with his uncles. -
Battle of Horseshoe Bend
After the British and their ally, Tecumseh (The leader of the Indian Confederation) lost control of Lake Erie, they pursued to the Battle of the Thames. During this battle, Tecumseh died in fighting, and without their leader, the Indian Confederation fell apart. The Creeks still fought in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, where Andrew Jackson lead a huge victory. By this battle, the Creeks' nation was destroyed. -
Battle of New Orleans
Although a treaty was already signed ending the War of 1812, news was slow to come, and the British planned to capture New Orleans, an important port in which Britain could control all American trade if taken. Andrew Jackson stepped in as major general, and used local slave labor to widen canals, creating a "defensive trench". With the weather and strategic position on their sides, American troops were able to successfully defeat the British with few casualties. -
Election of 1824
During the Election of 1824, there were four candidates: Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, William Crawford, and John Quincy Adams. However there was no clear winner at first. Andrew Jackson had won the popular vote, but no candidate won more than half of the Electoral votes. The votes went to the House of Representatives between the top 3 candidates. Henry Clay was speaker of the house, and strongly urged the represenatives to vote for Adams. Therefore, John Quincy Adams won the election. -
Election of 1828
The Election of 1828 was the battle for John Quincy Adams' reelection after the Election of 1824. This election focused more on Adams and Andrew Jackson's personalities instead of issues. Jackson supporters criticized Adams for making the "corrupt bargain" to help him win the Election of 1824 and being an aristocrat. Jackson won the election by a landslide and now politics of the common people (farmers and city workers) were important. -
Indian Removal Act
Andrew Jackson's supporters in Congress passed the Indian Removal Act in 1830, forcing many Native Americans to move west of the Mississippi River. The United States Army pushed more than 15,000 Cherokee indians westward. The Cherokees walked hundreds of miles where many children and elderly passed away from the hard journey. This journey became known as the Trail of Tears. -
Worcester v. Georgia
In 1828, Georgia passed a law saying all Indians in the state must be governed by state laws. The Cherokee Indians went to court, stating the federal government's treaties protected their rights and properties. John Marshall declared that Georgia's law was unconstitutional and the Native Americans were protected by the Constitution. However, Jackson refused to abide the Court's decision, and backed Georgia up by stating the government could not stop Georgia from ruling over the Cherokees. -
Nullification Crisis
In 1828, Congress passed a high tariff called the Tariff of Abominations. This tariff protected manufacturers in the North from foreign competition. However, Southerners who sold goods to Europe and bought European goods, had to pay more for these European imports. In 1832, South Carolina passed the Nullification Act, declaring the tariff illegal and threatening to secede from the union. Henry Clay came up with a compromise that satisfied South Carolina and they repealed the act. -
Bank War
President Jackson wanted war on the Bank of the United States. He and many others thought it was too powerful. He especially hated the president of the bank, Nicholas Biddle, who Jackson felt used the bank to benefit only the rich. When the charter came up for the Bank's renewal, President Jackson vetoed it. He thought the bank was unconstitutional and only helped aristocrats. Jackson won the election of 1832 and the bank officially closed.
