Andrew Jackson: Uncommon Common Man?

Objective Through an overview of his early life, students will determine the degree to which Andrew Jackson was a “common man” who supported other common men.

I. Jackson: The Age of the Common Man? Common Man: though there is no one definition, it was thought at the time that Jackson represented men who were poor, but patriotic and upright.

I. Jackson: The Age of the Common Man? However, some scholars have argued that instead of representing the common man, Jackson was really just a violent, power-hungry elitist.

I. Early Life Jackson was born in 1767 Waxhaw, North Carolina, the son of Scottish immigrants. His father died while he was still young, and his mother struggled to get by. When the Revolution began, Jackson, 13, enlisted as a courier.

I. Early Life However, Jackson lost his brother and his mother because of the war. Moreover, Jackson was taken prisoner by the British.

I. Early Life Jackson held many jobs in his early life, but after about a year of apprenticeship, he became a lawyer in the new frontier state of Tennessee.

I. Early Life While there, he met and married Rachel Robards. Rachel Robards, one of the most beautiful and accomplished women in Tennessee, was married to an abusive husband.

I. Early Life After separating from her husband, she became acquainted with Jackson, and the two fell deeply in love.

Though fleeing an abusive relationship and truly in love with Andrew Jackson, their marriage was marked by charges of bigamy.

I. Early Life Jackson and Rachel eventually acquired a plantation for themselves in Nashville, Tennessee called the “Hermitage.” This cotton plantation spanned over 1000 acres and was worked on by over 44 slaves.

I. Early Life Jackson, like many southerners and westerners, was involved in many duels in his life. –“Old Bag of Bullets”

II. National Hero Jackson became a noted military hero fighting Native Americans during the War of 1812, especially with his victory at Horseshoe Bend. Indeed, Native Americans across the western United States feared him because he so brutally burned their villages and crops, and killed their warriors.

However, his greatest victory was the Battle of New Orleans in –"Old Hickory."

II. National Hero Late in 1817, he received orders to subdue the Seminole Indians, who were raiding across the border from Spanish Florida. Jackson followed the Seminoles into Florida itself, both because of his hatred for the Seminoles and for glory. He captured its major cities, and executed two British nationals whom he charged with abetting the Indians.

III. President Jackson used his national popularity to bring him to victory over John Quincy Adams in 1828 (after losing to him in 1824) –Death of Rachel

III. President Despite his depression over losing Rachel, Jackson’s inauguration became a celebration for working class people. –White House Party!

So, was Jackson a hero of the common man?