Messages and Papers of the Presidents: Andrew Jackson

ANDREW JACKSON

Andrew Jackson was born in the Waxhaw Settlement, North or SouthCarolina, on the 15th of March, 1767. He was a son of AndrewJackson, an Irishman, who emigrated to America in 1765 and died in1767. The name of his mother was Elizabeth Hutchinson. There islittle definite information about the schools that he attended.According to Parton, "He learned to read, to write, and castaccounts—little more." Having taken arms against the Britishin 1781, he was captured, and afterwards wounded by an officerbecause he refused to clean the officer's boots. About 1785 hebegan to study law at Salisbury, N.C. In 1788 removed to Nashville,Tenn., where he began to practice law. About 1791 he married RachelRobards, originally Rachel Donelson, whose first husband was livingand had taken preliminary measures to obtain a divorce, which waslegally completed in 1793. The marriage ceremony was againperformed in 1794. He was a member of the convention which framedthe constitution of Tennessee in 1796, and in the autumn of thatyear was elected Representative to Congress by the people ofTennessee, which State was then entitled to only one member.Supported Thomas Jefferson in the Presidential election of 1796. In1797 became a Senator of the United States for the State ofTennessee. Resigned his seat in the Senate in 1798; was a judge ofthe supreme court of Tennessee from 1798 till 1804. After war hadbeen declared against Great Britain, General Jackson (who severalyears before had been appointed major-general of militia) offeredhis services and those of 2,500 volunteers in June, 1812. He wasordered to New Orleans, and led a body of 2,070 men in thatdirection; but at Natchez he received an order, dated February 6,1813, by which his troops were dismissed from public service. InOctober, 1813, he took the field against the Creek Indians, whom hedefeated at Talladega in November. By his services in this Creekwar, which ended in 1814, he acquired great popularity, and in May,1814, was appointed a major-general in the Regular Army; was soonafterwards ordered to the Gulf of Mexico, to oppose an expectedinvasion of the British. In November he seized Pensacola, whichbelonged to Spain, but was used by the British as a base ofoperations. About the 1st of December he moved his army to NewOrleans, where he was successful in two engagements with theBritish, and afterwards gained his famous victory on January 8,1815. This was the last battle of the war, a treaty of peace havingbeen signed on December 24, 1814. In 1817-18 he waged a successfulwar against the Seminoles in Florida, seized Pensacola, andexecuted Arbuthnot and Ambrister, two British subjects, accused ofinciting the savages to hostile acts against the Americans. He wasappointed governor of Florida in 1821. In 1823 was elected aSenator of the United States, and nominated as candidate for thePresidency by the legislature of Tennessee. His competitors wereJohn Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and William H. Crawford. Jacksonreceived 99 electoral votes, Adams 84, Crawford 41, and Clay 37. Asno candidate had a majority, the election devolved on the House ofRepresentatives, and it resulted in the choice of Mr. Adams. In1828 Jackson was elected President, receiving 178 electoral votes,while Adams received 83; was reelected in 1832, defeating HenryClay. Retired to private life March 4, 1837. He died at theHermitage on the 8th of June, 1845, and was buried there.

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT ELECT.

CITY OF WASHINGTON, March 2, 1829.
J.C. CALHOUN,
Vice-Presi