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Jackson's Birth
-He was born in the Waxhaw settlement in South Carolina. -As a child, he attended a few local schools but mostly worked. -All of his family (mom, dad, and two siblings) died by the time he turned 14. -
Jackson Enlists in the Revolutionary Army
-Andrew Jackson enlists in the military at age 12. -He went on to become the only president to ever be a Prisoner of War and the only one to fight in both the American Revolution and The War of 1812. -He earned the nickname "Old Hickory" from his reputation as a strong, fierce leader. -Jackson received multiple life-long scars as a POV when he refused to spit-shine a British officer's boots. -
Battle of Horseshoe Bend
-The Upper Creek Indians decided to join the British in the War of 1812. -Jackson attacked their settlement and won, forcing the Native Americans to surrender or be wiped out. -
Battle of New Orleans
-This was the last major battle of the War of 1812. Jackson led his group of 4,500 men against 7, 5000 British soldiers. -He managed to beat the odds and won the battle in about 30 minutes. -
Election of 1824
-Four main candidates ran: William H. Crawford, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, and Henry Clay. -Andrew Jackson received more electoral and popular votes than anyone else, but not the majority of 131 votes he needed to win the election, so the presidential election was decided by the House of Representatives. -Speaker of the House Henry Clay convinced everyone to vote for John Quincy Adams. When Adams won, he appointed Clay as Secretary of State. This was known as the Corrupt Bargain. -
Election of 1828
-Jackson campaigned hard and dirty against John Quincy Adams. -Jackson won by a landslide with a total of 178 electoral voted versus Adams' 83. -
Indian Removal Act
-Congress passed the Indian Removal Act which allowed the military to forcibly relocate the Native Americans to the newly created "Indian Territory." -This sparked the Trail of Tears, which involved over a third of the Cherokee population dying on the long, hard journey to their new territory. -
Worcester v. Georgia
-Sam Worcester appealed to the US Supreme Court after being arrested and forcibly removed from territory that belonged to the Cherokee Nation. -The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Mr. Worcester, saying the state government of Georgia didn't have jurisdiction over lands that weren't their own. -
Nullification Crisis
-Jackson passed the Tariff of 1832, angering South Carolina to the point where they were going to secede. -Henry Clay created a compromise that lowered the tariff but also made it harder for a state to secede. -
The Bank War
-Jackson vowed to stop the National Bank, which he felt was bad for the country. -He succeeded and the Bank's charter was not renewed.