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Andrew Jackson7th President of the USA
Date of Birth: 15.03.1767
Country:  USA |
Biography of Andrew Jackson
Early Life
Andrew Jackson, the 7th President of the United States, was born on March 15, 1767, in Waxhaws settlement in South Carolina (now North Carolina). He studied law in Salisbury, North Carolina, from 1784 to 1787 and later became a district prosecutor in the area that later became Tennessee. In 1788, he settled in Nashville.
Political Career
Jackson served as a delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1796 and became the first representative of Tennessee in Congress. He also served as a U.S. Senator from 1797 to 1798. Jackson was a major general in the state militia and was known as a conservative Jeffersonian Republican. After moving to Tennessee, he got married and lived on a plantation near the Cumberland River until 1804, when he resigned and settled in Hermitage near Nashville. He avoided active public life for eight years.
The War of 1812
The War of 1812 against Great Britain brought Jackson military victories and national fame. His first campaign was against the Creek Indians in the uncharted areas south of Tennessee, who were supported by the British and Spanish. After several bloody clashes, Jackson forced the Indians to agree to a treaty that broke the resistance of the Creek tribe. As a major general in the federal military service, he defeated the invading British troops led by Packenham in three battles near New Orleans and won a decisive victory on January 8, 1815. By that time, peace had been concluded in Ghent, Belgium, but the young America saw Jackson's victory as a second declaration of independence, this time through military means. In 1818, he had to fight again in Florida, suppressing the Seminole Indians who were raiding from the territory that was still a Spanish province at the time. In 1821, after the acquisition of Florida, Jackson was appointed as its military governor. In October 1823, he became a U.S. Senator again.
Presidential Campaigns
Jackson was one of the four main candidates for the presidency in 1824, after a split in the Jeffersonian Republican Party. Although he won the most popular and electoral votes, no candidate was able to secure a majority, and John Quincy Adams was chosen by the House of Representatives. Jackson's supporters accused Adams of a "corrupt bargain" with Henry Clay, whom Adams appointed as Secretary of State. Jackson became the "people's candidate" and was nominated in 1828 as a counter to the Washington elites. In the same year, a coalition was formed between Jackson's former supporters, Crawford, and Calhoun, which eventually became the new Democratic Party.
Presidential Achievements
Jackson advocated for a government that would fulfill the desires of the people and proposed direct election of the president. He emphasized the crucial role of farmers and planters in trade and growing industries and opposed a government policy that granted "exclusive privileges" or "benefits" to the wealthy citizens. Jackson repeatedly supported proposals to accelerate the distribution of federal lands among settler farmers. However, the Second Bank of the United States and its financial policies became a divisive issue. In July 1832, Jackson vetoed a bill to recharter the Bank, calling it a "monopoly of power, privileges, and favors." This move faced strong opposition from pro-bank forces led by Webster and Clay. Jackson won the presidential election of 1832, defeating Clay, and in September 1833, he withdrew federal deposits from the Bank, citing the Bank's potential to interfere in elections and influence public opinion. The federal funds were placed in state banks across the country.
Panic of 1837 and Legacy
Jackson's presidency was also marked by the danger of a serious political schism. South Carolina, which suffered from protective tariffs in 1828 and 1832, supported the extreme nullification principle, which allowed states to declare any federal law invalid within their territory. The issue of nullification and the growing divide in the country threatened the existence and survival of the federal Union. Jackson tried to reach a compromise within his own party regarding tariffs, but he remained a strong supporter of the Union and a staunch opponent of nullification. In 1833, he asked Congress to authorize the use of force to compel South Carolina to rescind nullification and collect tariffs. The tension was finally eased with the passage of a compromise law, devised by Clay and signed by the president.
Andrew Jackson's presidency saw the restoration of the two-party system. By 1834, the National Republicans, a coalition of Adams-Clay supporters, former Jackson allies, and Calhoun supporters, formed the Anti-Masonic Party. Meanwhile, Jackson's supporters formed the Democratic Party. Jackson's farewell address reaffirmed his democratic, egalitarian, and unionist beliefs. He supported Van Buren's efforts to implement an anti-banking program through the creation of an independent treasury system. Jackson endorsed the annexation of Texas, which brought attention to the issue of slavery and caused a split within the Democratic Party in 1843-1844. He died in Hermitage on June 8, 1845.
