Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson was born on March 15, 1767, near Camden, South Carolina, his parents, Andrew and Elizabeth, and two older brothers, Hugh and Robert, had came from northern Ireland two years earlier. Andrew was named after his father who died during a logging accident before he was born. Raised by his widowed mother, Jackson grew up with a large extended family—aunts, uncles, and cousins who were also Irish immigrant farmers. As a young boy Jackson attended a good school and his mother had hopes of him becoming a Presbyterian minister. However, Jackson skipped school and his love for pranks, cursing, and fighting quickly broke those hopes.

From 1778 to 1781, the American Revolutionary War raged in both north and south Carolinas. The war had a huge effect on Jackson's life. When he was thirteen, Jackson and his brothers joined the patriotic cause and volunteered to fight the British. His oldest brother Hugh died of heat stroke following the Battle of Stono Ferry in 1779. In 1781, Jackson and his brother Robert were captured. While they were captured, a British officer ordered Andrew to polish his boots and Andrew said he was captive not a slave and the officer slashed Jackson with his sword. Both Andrew and Robert contracted smallpox in prison and were very ill when Jackson's mother arranged for their release. He survived, however, his brother died. After Jackson recovered, his mother traveled to Charleston to aid the war effort by nursing injured and sick soldiers. She contracted cholera and died leaving Jackson an orphan.

Andrew lived with relatives for about four years, until he found out that his grandfather had left him an inheritance. Jackson took the money and went to Charleston, South Carolina. There he spent all of his inheritance gambling and drinking. Around his early twenties he was penniless and decided he need to be a lawyer. Jackson went to law school and be came a lawyer. In his later twenties Andrew went to the territory of Tennessee, (which was not yet a state), where he achieved respect as a lawyer, moderate sized plantation owner and judge. By about 30, he had been a member of the U.S. House of Representatives of the new state, and was elected Senator but resigned after one year. Jackson was appointed, a Superior Court Judge.While still on the bench, he sought and won the position of Mayor General of the Tennessee militia. During the War of 1812 he managed to bring down various Native American