Andrew Jackson was the 7th President of the United States of America.
He gained fame as one of the most prominent American generals during the War of 1812 and gained the status of a war hero all over USA.
This popularity eventually led him to be elected the President. As a President, Andrew Jackson garnered a lot of additional powers and was sometimes called ‘King Andrew’.
Andrew Jackson was born on March 15, 1767 in Waxhaw, South Carolina.
Andrew Jackson was born to a poor family and his father died some time before he was born. Despite his difficult circumstances, he developed a fondness for reading books and gained an informal education in this way.
When the American Revolutionary War broke out, Andrew was still only a boy. Being unable to fight in the war because he was so young, he decided to act as a messenger for the local militia.
He was briefly captured during the war but remained relatively unharmed. After the war, he moved to Tennessee and started practising law.
He was eventually elected as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee in 1796. By this time, Andrew had also bought a cotton plantation which he named ‘The Hermitage’. He remained the owner of this plantation through the rest of his life.
In 1812, the War of 1812 broke out between Britain and USA. In Tennessee, a local militia was formed to fight against the British. Andrew Jackson, being the most prominent political personality of Tennessee at the time, was appointed as the General of this militia.
Despite having little military experience, Andrew Jackson proved an excellent general. He led his militia, which wasn’t very large, to score many victories, sometimes even against much larger British forces.
At the Battle of New Orleans, he decisively defeated a much larger British army and gained fame as a war hero. By the time the war ended, Andrew Jackson had emerged as the most popular personality in USA.
In 1824, Andrew Jackson ran for the seat of President, competing against John Quincy Adams. Although he received more votes in the general election, John Quincy was able to garner more votes in the House of Representatives and so, John Quincy Adams became the President.
In 1828, Andrew Jackson ran for the Presidency a second time and this time, he won. He was elected the 7th President of USA. During his Presidency, he favored a strong federal government and greatly enhanced the powers of the President.
He remained President for two terms, from 1829 to 1837. He acted as a strong President who effectively controlled the cabinet. He was famously called the first ‘common man’ who had reached the position of the President of USA.
Andrew Jackson spent the last years of his life at his plantation, ‘The Hermitage’. He died at The Hermitage on June 8, 1845.
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