Seventh president of the United States. An orphan at the age of 14, Jackson was raised by his uncle, a well-to-do slave owner. He studied law and became a lawyer at the age of 20 and acting as prosecuting attorney in Nashville, became one of Tennessee's leaders. His marriage to the daughter of a highly prestigious and important man helped to increase Jackson's social standing and career. He helped to draft the Tennessee constitution and was elected as the first congressman from that state in 1796. In 1797, he was elected to the U.S. Senate for one year, before being appointed judge of the superior court in Tennessee. He was elected major general of the Tennessee militia in 1802, by which time he had amassed a commercial fortune in land and slaves. During the War of 1812, Jackson defeated the Creek Indians who were British allies and because of his toughness, both on and off the battlefield, acquired the nickname of Old Hickory. In January of 1815, after the Treaty ending the war had been signed in Europe, Jackson soundly defeated a veteran British force at the battle of New Orleans.
He was appointed governor of Florida in 1821 and in order to enhance his presidential ambitions accepted a seat in the Senate in 1823. Jackson lost the 1824 election to John Quincy Adams in a very close race. He was subsequently elected in the vicious 1828 race and served a second term as president in 1832. Jackson has been blamed for the banking crisis of the early 1830's and became noted as being the only president in U.S. history to be censured by the Senate for unconstitutional and dictatorial behaviour. |
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