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Jackson's Birth
Andrew Jackson, Americas's 7th president, was born on March 3, 1767 in the Waxhaws region on the border of North and South Carolina. However, through his lifetime, Jackson claimed he was from South Carolina. He was the youngest of three brothers. -
Jackson Enlists in the Revolutionary Army
When Jackson was around the age of thirteen, he enlisted in the revolutionary army with his brothers to fight along side the patriots to fight the British. Sadly, during this time, Hugh, the oldest brother, Robert, the second oldest, and Jackson's mother had died due to war-related hardships, leaving Jackson an orphan at the age of fourteen. -
Battle of Horseshoe Bend
This was a battle mainly between the U.S. and the Upper Creeks, or Red Sticks. It took place in the horseshoe bend of the Tallapoosa River. On the morning of March 27, 1814, General Andrew Jackson and army composed of U.S. regulars, militiamen, Lower Creeks, and Cherokees attacked the Upper Creeks, wining the battle. It ended with the Treaty of Fort Jackson, in which the Red Sticks ceded more than 21 million acres of land to the U.S. -
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans actually occurred after the war. The Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812 between Great Britain and The U.S., was signed on December 24, 1814 in Ghent, Belgium. However, the news was slow to cross the Atlantic to America. Unaware of this, British and American forces clashed in New Orleans. In the end, General Andrew Jackson was able to defend the city and win the battle. Jackson was recognized for this and gained national recognition. -
Election of 1824
In the election of 1824, John Quincy Adams went against Andrew Jackson for the presidency. Jackson won the popular vote, but fell short in the votes need in the Electoral College. The decision was decided by the House of Representatives, electing Adams as president. Later Jackson accused Adams and Henry Clay of making a corrupt bargain, in which Adams appointed Clay as his Secretary of State as long as Clay's vote in the House of Rep. fell for Adams. -
Election of 1828
The election of 1828 was basically a rematch between Andrew Jackson and John Quincy Adams. This time, Jackson rose as the president. The U.S. was now under a Jacksonian Democracy, where Jackson was considered the "Common Man". -
Indian Removal Act
At the time, some land in Georgia was discovered to have gold. Georgia gave the land to white settlers, and President Jackson supported this. However, the Cherokee Nation owned that land. Due to these problems and his hatred for Natives, Jackson asked Congress to pass a law removing Indians from that territory. The Cherokees rejected this proposal. However, after two cases involving the Cherokee Nation, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act. -
Nullification Crisis of 1832-1833
To protect the domestic northern industries from foreign manufactured products, the federal government passed the Tariffs of 1828. This helped the north, but greatly hurt the south. In 1832, South Carolina adopted the Ordinance of Nullification, stating that the tariffs were void within the borders of the state. They threatened to secede from the U.S. if tariffs were collected. President Jackson was furious. He gained support of Congress and was able to enforce the tariff in South Carolina. -
Worcester vs. Georgia
In 1830, Georgia passed a stale law stating that a white person living among Native Americans was to be arrested and sent to prison. Samuel Worcester was caught, arrested, and sentenced to jail for four years. However, he sued and won the case "Worcester vs. Georgia" in 1832. It was ruled that Georgia laws dealing with the Cherokee Nation were unconstitutional and were therefore void. -
Bank War
Nicholas Biddle, president of the Second Bank of the United States, requested for the renewal of the bank's charter. However, President Jackson opposed the renewal and vetoed the request. He felt that the bank was corrupt and unethical, so he began deposit federal funds into state "pet" banks. Biddle tried counterattack, but Jackson held his position firmly. Biddle did manage to get a state charter from Pennsylvania to keep the bank in operation, but in the end, the bank went out of business.
