Ten Things to Know About Andrew Jackson
Interesting and Important Facts About Andrew Jackson
Taken from Martin Kelly, About.com Guide
Andrew Jackson, nicknamed "Old Hickory," was the first president truly elected due to popular
sentiment. He was born in either North or South Carolina on March 15, 1767. He later moved to
Tennessee where he became a lawyer and owned an estate called "The Hermitage." He served in the
House of Representatives and the Senate. He was also known as a fierce warrior, rising to be a Major
General in the War of 1812. Following are ten key facts that are important to understand when
studying the life and presidency of Andrew Jackson.
1. Battle of New Orleans
In May, 1814, during the War of 1812, Andrew Jackson was named a Major General in the US Army.
On January 8, 1815, he defeated the British at the Battle of New Orleans and was lauded as a hero.
His forces met the invading British troops as they were attempting to take the city of New Orleans.
The battlefield, outside of the city, is basically just a large swampy field. The battle is considered to be
the greatest land victories in the war. Interestingly, the Treaty of Ghent had been signed on December
24, 1814. However, it was not ratified until February 16, 1815 and the information did not reach the
military in Louisiana until later that month.
2. Corrupt Bargain and the Election of 1824
Jackson decided to run for the presidency in 1824 against John Quincy Adams. Even though he won
the popular vote, because there was not an electoral majority the House of Representatives
determined the result of the election. Historians believe that what is known as the "Corrupt Bargain"
was made which gave the office to John Quincy Adams in exchange for Henry Clay becoming
Secretary of State. The backlash from this result would lead to Jackson's win in 1828. The scandal also
resulted in the Democratic-Republican Party splitting in two.
3. Election of 1828 and the Common Man
Due to the fallout from the election of 1824, Jackson was re-nominated to run in 1828 a full three
years before the next election. At this point, his party became known as the Democrats (yes – today’s
Democratic Party). Running against John Quincy Adams who had been named president in 1824, the
campaign was less about issues and more about the candidates themselves. John Quincy Adams was
the son of the 2nd President and was from Massachusetts. He was wealthy and had lived a life of
benefit. Jackson had come from poor roots (his family were immigrants, and he grew up in the
backcountry). His supporters were the “common people” – laborers; farmers and frontiersmen. This
also was a time when states were changing their voting requirements. The requirement of property
ownership was dropped which gave more men the right to vote.
Jackson became the seventh president with 54% of the popular vote and 178 out of 261 electoral
votes. His election was seen as a triumph for the common man (you know… people without money!).
Jackson believed in giving average citizens more power in government. He believed the nation had
been corrupted by special interests and the wealthy. Historians refer to these beliefs as “Jacksonian
Democracy”.
4. Andrew Jackson's Marriage Scandal
Before he became president, Jackson married a woman named Rachel Donelson in 1791. Rachel
believed that she had been legally divorced after a failed first marriage. However, this was not
accurate and after the wedding, her first husband charged Rachel with adultery. Jackson then had to
wait until 1794 when he could finally, legally marry Rachel. This event was dragged into the election of
1828 causing the pair much distress. In fact, Rachel passed away two months before he took office
and Jackson blamed her death on these personal attacks.
5. Spoils System
Jackson’s opponents called him "King Andrew I" due to his use of the veto and his implementation of
what they called the "spoils system." He believed in rewarding those who supported him and more
than any president before him, he removed political opponents from federal office to replace them
with loyal followers. The “spoils system” refers to the quote, “To the victor belong the spoils”. Spoils
are rewards or benefits.
6. Kitchen Cabinet
Even though Jackson believed in rewarding his supporters with government jobs, he also wanted
qualified people to help him run the country. He was the first president to truly rely on an informal
group of advisors called the "Kitchen Cabinet" to set policy instead of his real cabinet. Many of these
advisors were friends from Tennessee or newspaper editors.
7. Use of Vetoes (combine 7&8 for assignment)
As the first president to truly embrace the power of the presidency, President Jackson vetoed more
bills than all previous presidents. He used the veto twelve times in his two terms in office. In 1832, he
used a veto to stop the re-chartering of the Second Bank of the United States.
8. Bank War
Jackson did not believe that the Second Bank of the United States was constitutional and further that
it favored the wealthy over the common people. Jackson’s critics thought they could force Jackson to
renew the bank’s charter (permission to exist) or risk losing re-election. They underestimated
Jackson’s hatred for the bank. When the charter came up for renewal in 1832, Jackson vetoed it (but
still won re-election). He further removed government money from the bank and put it into state
banks. However, these state banks did not follow stringent lending practices. Their freely made loans
led to inflation. To combat this, Jackson ordered that all land purchases be made in gold or silver
which would have consequences in the Panic of 1837.
9. Nullification Crisis
Jackson's presidency was a time of rising sectional strife and the nation faced a crisis arising out of the
tariff issue and states’ rights (refer to your handout on Unity and Division). In 1832, when Jackson
signed a moderate tariff into law, South Carolina decided that through "nullification" (the belief that
a state could rule something unconstitutional), they could ignore the law. This belief put Jackson and
his Vice President John Calhoun (from South Carolina) in direct conflict. Jackson let it be known that
he would use the military to enforce the tariff. Calhoun pushed South Carolina to secede from the
Union if the federal government tried to enforce the tariff. Jackson called nullification nothing more
than treason and supported the use of force to preserve the Union. As a means of compromise and to
avoid a potential war, Henry Clay proposed a new lower tariff in 1833 to help smooth out sectional
issues.
10. Indian Removal Act
Jackson supported the state of Georgia being allowed to force Indians from their land to reservations
west of the Mississippi River. He used the Indian Removal Act that had been passed in 1830 and
signed into law by Jackson to force them to move. He even did this despite the fact that the Supreme
Court (still led by John Marshall) had ruled in Worcester v. Georgia (1832) that Native Americans
could not be forced to move. This led directly to the Trail of Tears where from 1838-39, US troops led
over 15,000 Cherokees from Georgia to reservations in Oklahoma. It is estimated that about 4,000
Native Americans died due to this march.