Andrew Jackson, 7th President of the United
States
I somewhat adore Andrew Jackson. Yes, I agree that he did
some pretty bad things in his lifetime. I certainly do not like what he did to
the Indians at all. Still, the character of this man speaks volumes in other
ways. We have all learned about him in our history classes, I am sure, but I
would like to go over a few things I find interesting about him right now. Some
of these facts may come as a surprise to you, some may not. Still, I find them interesting,
so I want to share them.
Did you know that it
was Andrew Jackson that gave us the donkey symbol for the Democratic Party?
This is actually very true.
In 1828, when Jackson ran for president, he used the slogan,
“Let the people rule." This did not go over so well with his opponents and
the called him a “jackass." In return, he showed them by embracing the
name and using it for his campaign posters. It was said later when he was
president that the donkey was once again used to show Jackson’s commitment and
stubbornness when it came to abolishing the National bank.
On the subject of his
stubbornness, I would like to point out that Andrew Jackson’s nickname was “Old
Hickory." Hickory”. Most of you may
already know that. The million-dollar question is why was his nickname “Old
Hickory”? Believe it or not I can ask this question to hundreds of people, and
they can only answer me two things. Most say, “I don’t know why; I have just
been taught that, and so I know it.” Well, I am not sure that will suffice for
me. Others will answer, “It was because
he was tough.” Now this is better and true to a point but there is more to it
than that. So, for those of you that already know the answer to this question
bear with me. For those of you who do not follow along closely here. I mean it
is has to say something about the man to know that he is the only President who
was ever a prisoner of war, right?
Andrew Jackson actually enlisted in the army when he was
only 12 years old. By the way, it is a pretty cool fact to note that he in fact
was a courier during the Revolutionary War. It was during this time he was
captured by the British and became a POW in Camden then later released.
Years after he became a Colonel in the U.S. Army. It was in
the War of 1812 that he proved himself. He personally led a charge, head-on at that,
in the Creek War with the help of local Indians and his militiamen. They Won!
Again, a few years after that in New Orleans, he managed to gain
another victory. See it is a not so well-known fact that Jackson could pull
magic from a hat. He never failed to rally people when he needed them, most and
this particular battle was no different. He was outnumbered by the British (who
had about 7,000 men). Jackson knew he needed help and started gathering people
of all kinds to help him out. When he was finished enlisting all the men to
help he had about 4,600 men gathered. Fun fact here: these men consisted of Choctaw
Indians, Marines, a few sailors, militiamen and army, free African American’s,
and even a pirate. Only Andrew Jackson could enlist a pirate to help him in
battle. Outnumbered as they were, they still went to battle and lo and behold Jackson
and his men won.
Besides the fact that Andrew Jackson showed that he would go
to any lengths to win as well as great leadership skills in battle, he also
gained the respect of his men by doing certain things. Like I said earlier, he
led a head on battle with his men. When leaving New Orleans, however, he used
his own money and horses to help his men get back home. He even went so far as
to walk alongside his men and give his horses to the sick. It was his
stubbornness, his lack of fear, his determination, and his kindness that led to
him gaining the nickname of “Old Hickory."
Before I go any
further I would like to point out that in his lifetime, Jackson was known to
have taken part in over a hundred duels. Some of the stories told about these
duels are very interesting. I will share a few links at the end of this so all
of you who care can go and read up on them. I will share only one, and arguably
the most famous, duels by Andrew Jackson right now.
When Jackson married his wife Rachel, she was still somewhat
married to another man. She was in the process of a divorce but thought she had
obtained the divorce. This led to some name calling around Jackson about his
Rachel. Let it be known that he loved this lady very much, and so he called
people out regularly for their offences to the lady. This is how the duel
between Jackson and Charles Dickinson came about. Well actually it started over
a horse race and led to Dickinson calling Rachel a name. Of course, Jackson
called him out for a duel. The duel did not go as planned for Jackson because
Dickinson got off the first shot, and it hit Jackson right in the chest. The
only thing that stopped it from hitting his heart was his jacket and that the
bullet hit a rib and broke it. He looked at his wound and then raised his gun
and fired. The gun did not go off; it had misfired. Jackson, being the man whom
he was and having the temper that he had, did not let his bit of bad luck this
day deter him. No, he simply raised the gun again and fired and this time it
worked. He shot Charles Dickinson right in his throat killing him instantly. Jackson
lived with this bullet in him for the rest of his life as well as many other
bullets from other duels.
Did you know that
Andrew Jackson’s wife, Rachel, never made it to the White House with him?
This is once again, and unfortunately, true. Rachel Jackson
died on December 22, 1828, which was just a month after Andrew Jackson was
elected president, so she never made the move to the White House. This was all
probably for the best because she had no wish to go make the move in the first
place. Still, she would have done anything for her husband. It is said that she
died from a heart attack cause by stress. The stress would have come from the
fact that she did not want to move to Washington and because of the names she
was being called for being married to two men at one time. Truly, this was an
honest mistake on Andrew and Rachel Jackson’s part, and as we already know was
the cause of many a duels and conflicts for Jackson.
He loved his wife very
much and felt like her death was the fault of his political enemies. So he
buried her on Christmas Eve in 1828 at their home The Hermitage in the garden.
Around the massive tomb, he had built for her, he planted Weeping Willow trees
and had the words, “Here lie the remains of Mrs. Rachel Jackson, wife of
President Jackson, who died the 22d of December, 1828, aged 61. Her face was
fair, her person pleasing, her temper amiable, and her heart kind; she was
delighted in relieving the wants of her fellow creatures, and cultivated that
divine pleasure by the most liberal and unpretending methods; to the poor she
was a benefactor; to the rich an example; to the wretched a comforter; to the
prosperous an ornament; her piety went hand in hand with her benevolence, and
she thanked her Creator for being permitted to do good. A being so gentle and
yet so virtuous, slander might wound but could not dishonor. Even death, when
he tore her from the arms of her husband, could but transport her to the bosom
of her God." If you take note at the last bit of that statement, you will
notice that it specifically points to the insults handed to her by the many
people that thought her an adulterer. Just in case you missed it here it is
again, “A being so gentle and yet so virtuous, slander might wound but could
not dishonor.” Andrew Jackson mourned the loss of his beloved wife for the rest
of his life.
Did you know that the front of The Hermitage, home of President Andrew Jackson, was actually red in the beginning?
It was originally red brick. When Andrew Jackson was away from home his son began the project of painting the red bricks white. Andrew Jackson came home in the nick of time to put a stop to it. He allowed the front to be finished being painted white but insisted the rest be left alone. So that is why the front of the house is white and the rest is red brick. This is a story told when you visit The Hermitage.
Also, did you know that Andrew Jackson hated paper money?
He was against using anything but gold for currency. He knew the dangers of paper money. I find it ironic and somewhat mean that he is on the twenty dollar bill myself.
Here are a few
interesting quotes by Andrew Jackson. I think a few of them speak volumes of
his character.
"I have but two regrets. I did not hang John C. Calhoun
and I did not shoot Henry Clay." -Jackson upon leaving the presidency.
“There is no pleasure
in having nothing to do; the fun is having lots to do and not doing it.” ―
Andrew Jackson
“I was born for the storm, and a calm does not suit me.” –
Andrew Jackson
“One man with courage makes a majority” ― Andrew Jackson
"Oh, do not cry. Be good children, and we shall all
meet in Heaven... I want to meet you all, white and black, in Heaven" or
"I hope to meet you all in Heaven. Be good children, all of you, and
strive to be ready when the change comes."-Jackson’s Last Words
“Heaven will be heaven only if my wife is there.” ―
Andrew Jackson
I want to point out
that Jackson had a mouth on him. It is said that Andrew Jackson’s pet parrot
had to be removed from the funeral service due to the profanity it was yelling
out.
“Before the sermon and while the crowd was gathering, a
wicked parrot that was a household pet, got excited and commenced swearing so
loud and long as to disturb the people and had to be carried from the house
(54).”
Hilarious and again speaks volumes!
I know that this man may not be thought of as all that great
for some people. I understand that he did many wrong things in his lifetime. I
do not personally agree with some of them myself (Such as the Indian removal
and Trail of Tears). Still I like to
look at this man as somewhat of a hero of mine. He did what he thought was best
and took care of business no matter what it took. He loved hard; he did his
best, and he stood proud in the end. Yes, I call him a hero for those reasons. Born
and raised in Tennessee, I grew up about thirty miles from The Hermitage. I
have visited this place several times in my life and each time is a wonderful
learning experience. It is one of my favorite places in this state to visit. I
highly recommend that you visit The Hermitage as well if you live in this area
or are planning a trip to the Nashville area.
References:
Credits for Pictures:
Links you may enjoy:
·
This was one of the funniest things I have ever
read on Andrew Jackson. Everything that is stated on here is accurate and true
for the most part but it is the humor in it that stands out.
·
This link gives you an inside look at Andrew
Jackson toward the end of his life. It is a wonderful read.
·
Here are a few links about duels and Andrew
Jackson.
The Link to The Hermitage:
