Andrew Jackson

Definition: Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson

Noun

1. 7th president of the US; successfully defended New Orleans from the British in 1815; expanded the power of the presidency (1767-1845).

Specialty Definition: Andrew Jackson

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Andrew Jackson

Order: 7th President

Term of Office: March 4, 1829 - March 4, 1837

Followed: John Quincy Adams

Succeeded by: Martin Van Buren

Date of Birth March 15, 1767

Place of Birth: Waxhaw, South Carolina

Date of Death: June 8, 1845

Place of Death: The Hermitage, Nashville, Tennessee

Wife: Rachel Donelson Robards

First Ladies: Emily Donelson (niece)
Sarah Yorke Jackson (daughter-in-law)

Occupation: lawyer, soldier

Political Party: Democrat

Vice President:
John C. Calhoun (1829-1832)
Martin Van Buren (1833-1837)

Nicknames: Old Hickory

Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 - June 8, 1845) was the seventh (1829-1837) President of the United States, sometimes nicknamed "Old Hickory".

Early years
Andrew Jackson's parents Andrew Jackson, Sr (c. 1730 - February, 1767) and Elizabeth "Betty" Hutchinson (c. 1740 - November, 1781) emigrated to the US from Carrickfergus in Northern Ireland in 1765. The Andrew Jackson Centre at Carrickfergus has information about the family.
Wounded in a duel as a young man, Jackson was a frequent dueler. Jackson was regarded as a national hero after defeating the British in the 1815 Battle of New Orleans.
In the Presidential Election of 1824 Jackson won both more popular and electoral votes than any other candidate, but did not receive an overall majority so the election went to the House of Representatives, where John Quincy Adams was chosen as President. Jackson beat Adams with a substantial majority four years later, and took office as President in 1829.

Jackson's influence
Jackson was the first U.S. president who came from outside the original Revolutionary circle. Washington, Adams, Jefferson and Madison were notable figures in the War of Independence and in the formation of the U.S. Constitution. James Monroe fought in the Revolutionary War. John Quincy Adams was the son of John Adams. Jackson's election represented a significant break from that past. Jackson was a general in the War of 1812 and fought alongside traders and other commonfolk. He was regarded as a "man of the people" and because some states had already changed legislature to allow those who did not own land the right to vote, this was the first election in which the "common folk" could vote, and they voted for Jackson.
Jackson is remembered for introducing the spoils system to American politics. Upon his election as President, a sizable number of people holding positions in Washington, DC, offices found that they had suddenly been replaced by supporters of Jackson, who had worked to ensure his election. Jackson saw this system as promoting the growth of democracy, as more people were involved in politics. This practice has endured in political circles in the United States ever since. Additionally, Jackson pressured states to lower voting requirements to further the expansion of democracy.

Jackson's opposition to the National Bank
As President, Jackson worked to dismantle the Bank of the United States, which had been originally introduced in 1791 by Alexander Hamilton as a way of providing a national debt and increasing the power of the federal government. Jackson's reasons for removing the BUS, as it was called, include:
Jackson's belief that the BUS was unconstitutional
Jackson's belief that an excessive amount of the nation's financial strength was concentrated in the BUS
Jackson's belief that the BUS excercised too much control over members of Congress
The BUS favored Northeastern U.S. over Southern and Western U.S.
Jackson's conflict with President of the BUS, Nicholas Biddle due to Biddle's belief that the BUS was unaccountable to Congress.

This first Bank lapsed in 1811. It was followed by the second Bank, authorized by James Madison in 1816 to alleviate the economic problems caused by the War of 1812. It was instrumental in the growth of the U.S. economy but was opposed by Jackson on ideological grounds.
Jackson followed Jefferson as a supporter of the ideal of an agricultural republic, and felt the Bank improved the fortunes of an elite circle of commercial and industrial entrepreneurs at the expense of farmers and laborers. After a titanic struggle with the Bank's President, Nicholas Biddle, Jackson succeeded in destroying the bank by vetoing its 1832 recharter by Congress. It was a Pyrrhic victory, however, as the Bank's money-lending functions were taken over by the legions of local and state banks that sprang up, and the commercial progress of the nation's economy was not noticeably dented. The United States Senate censured Jackson on March 27, 1834 for his actions in defunding the Bank of the United States.
Another notable crisis of his period of office was the nullification crisis (or succession crisis), 1828-32, which merged issues of sectional strife and disagreements over trade tariffs. High tariffs (the "Tariff of Abominations") on imports of common goods were seen by many in Southern colonies as unfairly benefiting Northern merchants and industrial entrepreneurs at the expense of those who had to buy the goods subject to the tariffs, mostly Southern farmers. The issue came to a head when the Vice President, John C. Calhoun, in the South Carolina Exposition and Protest of 1832, supported the claim of his home state, South Carolina, that it had the right to 'nullify' - declare illegal - the tariff legislation of 1828, and more generally the right of a state to nullify laws which went against its interests. Although Jackson sympathized with the Southern interpretation of the tariff debate, he was also a strong supporter of federalism (in the sense of supporting a strong union with considerable powers for the central government) and attempted to face Calhoun down over the issue, which developed into a bitter rivalry between the two men. Particularly famous was an incident at the April 13, 1829 Jefferson Day dinner, involving after-dinner toasts. Jackson rose first and toasted "Our federal Union: it must be preserved!", a clear challenge to Calhoun. Calhoun responded with a toast to "The Union: next to our liberty, most dear", an astonishingly quick-witted riposte.
The crisis was resolved in 1833 with a compromise settlement which, by substantially lowering the tariffs, hinted that the central government considered itself weak in dealing with determined opposition by an individual state.

Indian Removal Act of 1830
Jackson was responsible for the notorious Indian Removal Act of 1830, and thus the Trail of Tears, in unconstitutional defiance of a Supreme Court ruling.
In 1829, American demand for land due to population growth and the discovery of gold on Cherokee land led to pressure on Native American lands. In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act that Jackson signed into law. The act was challenged successfully by the Cherokee Nation in 1832 in the US Supreme Court as Worcester v. Georgia, in 1832. Despite the Supreme Court decision, Jackson took no action to uphold the Court verdict, and in fact would openly defy it; he was quoted as saying "John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it!" As the court has no executive powers to enforce its decisions, Jackson's executive disregard of the court, marked a time when the Judicial branch of government was very weak.
The state of Georgia held two land lotteries in 1835 to divide the Cherokee land, and Jackson sent military support to oust the Native population. This led to what is now known as the "Trail of Tears", which killed roughly four thousand Cherokee (25%), en route to Oklahoma.

Assassination attempt
On January 30, 1835 an unsuccessful assassination attempt against Jackson occurred in the United States Capitol. This was the first assassination attempt against an American President. Jackson had attended a funeral, and a man named Richard Lawrence came up to him and fired a pistol at point-blank range. The pistol misfired, and before anyone could react, Lawrence pulled another pistol and it too misfired! Instead of running or taking cover, President Jackson preceded to beat the man over the head with his cane. The odds were astronomical that two pistols would misfire. A print of the assassination attempt made 20 years later became quite popular because it shows the aging president boldly confronting his attacker.

Jackson's family
Jackson's wife died just prior to his taking office as President. She, Rachel Donelson Robards, had divorced her first husband (Col. Lewis Robards, sometimes mistakenly cited as "Roberts"), but there were some questions about the legality of the divorce, and she was never accepted in polite society, which Jackson deeply resented. His only child was an adopted son, Andrew, Jr. In his will, Andrew, Sr., left his granddaughter "several" slaves, his two grandsons each one male slave, and his daughter-in-law four female slaves, one of whom he had bought for her and the other three of whom were a household servant of his and her two daughters.

Movie and biography
The story of Andrew and Rachel Jackson's life together was told in Irving Stone's best-selling 1951 biographical novel The President's Lady, which was made into the 1953 movie of the same title, starring Susan Hayward, Charlton Heston, John McIntire, and Carl Betz and directed by Henry Levin.

Supreme Court cases during his presidency

Worcester v. Georgia, 1832
Cherokee Nation vs. Georgia, 1831

Important legislature events

Maysville Road Veto
Force Bill, 1833

Quotes

"Corporations have neither bodies to kick nor souls to damn."

Places named for Andrew Jackson

Hickory County, Missouri (for his nickname, Old Hickory)
Jackson, Georgia
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Ohio
Jackson County, Alabama
Jackson County, Arkansas
Jackson County, Colorado
Jackson County, Florida
Jackson County, Illinois
Jackson County, Indiana
Jackson County, Iowa
Jackson County, Kansas
Jackson County, Kentucky
Jackson County, Louisiana
Jackson County, Michigan
Jackson County, Mississippi
Jackson County, Missouri
Jackson County, North Carolina
Jackson County, Ohio
Jackson County, Oklahoma
Jackson County, Oregon
Jackson County, Tennessee
Jackson County, Texas
Jackson County, West Virginia
Jackson County, Wisconsin
Jackson Township, Indiana
Jackson Park in Chicago, Illinois
Jackson Square in New Orleans, Louisiana
Many streets and avenues

Supreme Court appointments

John McLean - 1830
Henry Baldwin - 1830
James Moore Wayne - 1835
Roger Brooke Taney - Chief Justice - 1836
Philip Pendleton Barbour - 1836

Related articles

United States dollar - Jackson's portrait appears on the $20 bill.
U.S. presidential election, 1824
U.S. presidential election, 1828
U.S. presidential election, 1832

External links

Critical Resources: Andrew Jackson and Indian Removal
First Inaugural Address
Second Inaugural Address
A genealogical profile of the President

References

The Age of Jackson by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. ISBN 0316773441

Preceded by:
John Quincy Adams Presidents of the United States Succeeded by:
Martin Van Buren

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Andrew Jackson."

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Synonyms: Andrew Jackson

Synonyms: Jackson (n), Old Hickory (n). (additional references)

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Crosswords: Andrew Jackson

English words defined with "Andrew Jackson": Jacksonian. (references)

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Modern Usage: Andrew Jackson

Domain	Usage
Screenplays	Did you make sure Andrew Jackson was on the bills, not Alfred E. Newman or someone (Gilmore Girls; writing credit: Povl Erik Carstensen; Sebastian Dorset)
Clever	Never take counsel of your fears. (references; author: Andrew Jackson) One man with courage makes a majority. (references; author: Andrew Jackson) You must pay the price if you wish to secure the blessing. (references; author: Andrew Jackson) It's a damn poor mind that can only think of one way to spell a word. (references; author: Andrew Jackson) Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in. (references; author: Andrew Jackson)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Commercial Usage: Andrew Jackson

Domain	Title
Books	Andrew Jackson & His Indian Wars (reference) The Life of Andrew Jackson (reference) Old Hickory's War: Andrew Jackson and the Quest for Empire (reference) Young Hickory: The Making of Andrew Jackson (reference) Andrew Jackson Higgins and the Boats That Won World War II (reference) (more book examples)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Image Slideshow: Andrew Jackson

Photos: Andrew Jackson
	Subject(s): ... Fort, Andrew Jackson, Key, West ...
	Subject(s): ... Quarter, statue, Andrew Jackson ...
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Illustrations: Andrew Jackson
	Subject(s): ... Presidents, Andrew Jackson ...
	Subject(s): ... man, military, Andrew Jackson ...
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Computer Images: Andrew Jackson
	Subject(s): ... Andrew Jackson ...
	Subject(s): ... Washington, inauguration, Andrew Jackson ...
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Photo Album: Andrew Jackson

Thumbnail	Description & Credit	Thumbnail	Description & Credit
	Levi Woodbury Secretary of the Treasury under Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren Helped nurture the Survey during the 1830's. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection.		Amos Kendall - the 4th Auditor under Andrew Jackson Adversary of Ferdinand Hassler Telegraph entrepreneur in later career. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection.
	Genl. Andrew Jackson. 18028. Protector & defender of beauty & booty. Orleans. Credit: Library of Congress.		To sweep the Augean Stable. For President, Andrew Jackson. For Vice-President, John C. Calhoun. Credit: Library of Congress.
	Andrew Jackson, half-length portrait, three-quarters to right. Credit: Library of Congress.		Andrew Jackson, head-and-shoulders portrait, nearly in profile to left, leaning against pillow of which ticking appears in lower left corner. Credit: Library of Congress.
	Andrew Jackson, full-length portrait. Credit: Library of Congress.		Andrew Jackson. Credit: Library of Congress.
	Statues and sculpture. Andrew Jackson statue. Credit: Library of Congress.		Major General Andrew Jackson, President of the United States / painted by Thomas Sully ; engraved by James B. Longacre. Credit: Library of Congress.
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

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Familiar Quotations: Andrew Jackson

Author	Quotation
Andrew Jackson	Never take counsel of your fears.
	One man with courage makes a majority.
	You must pay the price if you wish to secure the blessing.
	It's a damn poor mind that can only think of one way to spell a word.
	Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.
	The wisdom of man never yet contrived a system of taxation that would operate with perfect equality.
	Peace above all things is to be desired; but blood must sometimes be spilled to obtain it on equable and lasting terms.
	Peace, above all things, is to be desired, but blood must sometimes be spilled to obtain it on equable and lasting terms.
President Andrew Jackson.	John Marshall has made his decision: now let him enforce it!
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Speeches: Andrew Jackson

Speaker	Term	Phrase(s)
Andrew Jackson	1829-1837	Appropriations will be obtained with much greater facility and granted with less security to the public interest when the measure is thus disguised than when definite and direct expenditures of money are asked for.
		In a government like ours more especially should all public acts be, as far as practicable, simple, undisguised, and intelligible, that they may become fit subjects for the approbation to animadversion of the people.
		We are all sensible of the bias to which the strongest minds and purest hearts are, under such circumstances, liable.
		Powerful auxiliaries to the attainment of this desirable end are to be found in the regulations provided by the wisdom of Congress for the specific appropriation of public money and the prompt accountability of public officers.
		Internal improvement and the diffusion of knowledge, so far as they can be promoted by the constitutional acts of the Federal Government, are of high importance.
		Partial injuries and occasional mortifications we may be subjected to, but a million of armed freemen, possessed of the means of war, can never be conquered by a foreign foe.
		To any just system, therefore, calculated to strengthen this natural safeguard of the country I shall cheerfully lend all the aid in my power.
		Let us extricate our country from the dangers which surround it and learn wisdom from the lessons they inculcate.
		All experience proves that oppressive debt is the bane of enterprise, and it should be the care of a republic not to exert a grinding power over misfortune and poverty.
		Both officers and soldiers seem imbued with a proper sense of duty, and conform to the restraints of exact discipline with that cheerfulness which becomes the profession of arms.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Expression: Andrew Jackson

Expression using "Andrew Jackson": Andrew Jackson Downing. Additional references.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Frequency of Internet Expressions: Andrew Jackson

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.

Expression	Frequency per Day
andrew jackson	570
president andrew jackson	34
andrew jackson nickname	25
andrew jackson president vice	16
andrew jackson vp	11
andrew jackson presidency	9
andrew jackson downing	9
andrew jackson spoils system	4
accomplishment andrew jackson	3
actor andrew jackson new whats	2
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Anagrams: Andrew Jackson

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams
	Words within the letters "a-a-c-d-e-j-k-n-n-o-r-s-w"
	-4 letters: ordnances, ransacked.
	-5 letters: casework, decrowns, dornecks, endosarc, jackdaws, ordnance.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.