Andrew Jackson
By:Abbey Tomczyk
Early Life
Andrew Jackson was born March 15, 1767 in Waxhaw. Waxhaw was a region between North Carolina and South Carolina. However his dad died 3 weeks before Andrew was born. He was put into an orphanage at the age of 14. He was an adopted child along with two other boys who became his brothers named Hugh and Robert. However Hugh died at about the age of 17 while fighting in war and Robert was about 16 who died from smallpox.
Family
Andrew Jackson married Rachel Donelson Robards in 1791. Andrew was an orphan himself and he wanted children but not of his own. He and his wife adopted many children while they were married. They adopted two Indian boys and named them Andrew Jackson Jr. and Lyncoya. They had also adopted a boy that was Rachel's brothers son.
Important Events
Andrew Jackson relocated the Cherokee, Chickasaw. Choctaw. Creek and Seminole tribes from Georgia because gold was discovered there and the U.S. wanted it. Jackson had asked Congress to pass a law that forced Native Americans to the west into a piece of land known as Indian Territory. This event was called the Indian Removal Act. Andrew Jackson also thought that the National bank was unconstitutional and he fought for state banks instead. Once state banks were made , people could easily borrow money. However since the banks were loaning out too much paper money it had made the value of the dollar worthless. Because of this Jackson made people pay with gold and silver for public lands.
Fun Facts
- He was the 7th president starting in 1929 when he was 61 he was in office for 8 years
- He is on the $20 bill since 1928, which was weird because he never liked paper money
- One of his nicknames was "Old Hickory" because soldiers said that he was tough as hickory
- John C. Calhoun was Jackson's vice president
- Andrew was 78 when he died
My Reaction
I think that Andrew Jackson was sometimes selfish because when gold was found in Georgia he removed all Native Americans so that he could have the gold for himself/ the country. I thought that it was cool how since he was adopted he also wanted to adopt kids of his own.I also felt bad for him because both his parents died when he was really young so he had to live most of his life without his parents. Overall I think that he was important in America no matter what myself or others think.
Works Cited
http://www.biography.com/people/andrew-jackson-9350991
http://thehermitage.com/learn/andrew-jackson/family/rachel/
http://millercenter.org/president/jackson/essays/biography/7
http://www.fun-facts.org.uk/american-presidents/andrew-jackson.htm
http://andrewjacksons1.weebly.com/accomplishments-in-presidency.html
http://americanhistory.about.com/od/andrewjackson/a/ff_a_jackson.htm