Andrew Jackson: A Short Biography

By Doug West

A fierce personality with an iron will, Andrew Jackson was an important statesman who left a historic mark on the expansion and consolidation of the United States. Known among both his friends and his enemies as “Old Hickory,” after the hardwood tree, he rose to fame during the War of 1812, where his victories revealed the tenacity and courage that would later transform him into one of the most influential and controversial American presidents.

Andrew Jackson was a self-made man who was born on the frontier and grew up to become one of Tennessee’s first and most important political figures, before serving as the seventh president of the United States between 1829 and 1837. His rise to national prominence was hastened when he led to victory a rag-tag group of militia, Indians, locals, and pirates against a much larger British force during the War of 1812 at the Battle of New Orleans. The event prompted Jackson’s immediate ascent to power and transformed him into a national hero. From the Petticoat affair to the nullification crisis, Jackson’s ability to handle the most divisive issues allowed him to transcend any scandal due to the unwavering support of his ardent political partisans. Andrew Jackson exerted such a tremendous influence on American politics that historians often refer to his presidency as “The Age of Jackson.”

Although he was widely esteemed by Americans of his time, Jackson’s reputation has dwindled since the rise of the civil rights movement when his anti-abolitionist views and his leading role in Indian dispossession after the signing of the Indian Removal Act in 1830 have been heavily criticized. With his independent spirit and his persistent hold on democratic principles and values, he set the country on a path that led to a stronger and more efficient democracy.

This readable book “Andrew Jackson: A Short History”, is a compact biography that surveys in concise terms the life and times of this most influential American president.

30-Minute Book Series
Welcome to the 31th book in the 30-Minute Book Series. Books in this series are fast-paced, accurate, and cover the story in as much detail as a short book possibly can. Most people complete each book in less than an hour, which makes the books in the series a perfect companion for your lunch hour or a little down time.

About the Author
Doug West is a retired engineer and an experienced non-fiction writer with several books to his credit. His writing interests are general, with special expertise in history, science, biographies, and “How To” topics. Doug has a Ph.D. in General Engineering from Oklahoma State University.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Doug West
• Release date: Aug 2, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463846322

Doug West

Doug West is a retired engineer, small business owner, and an experienced non-fiction writer with several books to his credit. His writing interests are general, with expertise in science, history, biographies, numismatics, and “How to” topics. Doug has a B.S. in Physics from the Missouri School of Science and Technology and a Ph.D. in General Engineering from Oklahoma State University. He lives with his wife and little dog “Millie” near Kansas City, Missouri.

Book preview

Andrew Jackson: A Short Biography

Seventh President of the United States

By Doug West, Ph.D.

Andrew Jackson: A Short Biography

Seventh President of the United States

Copyright © 2018 Doug West

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author. Reviewers may quote brief passages in reviews.

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Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1 - Early Life and Education

Chapter 2 - Early Legal and Political Career

Chapter 3 - Military Career

Chapter 4 - Post-War Political Career

Chapter 5 - President of the United States

Chapter 6 - Later Life and Death

Timeline

Biographical Sketches

References and Further Reading

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Preface

Welcome to the book Andrew Jackson: A Short Biography. This book is part of the 30 Minute Book Series and, as the name of the series implies, if you are an average reader this book will take less than an hour to read. Since this book is not meant to be an all-encompassing biography of Andrew Jackson, you may want to know more about this man and his accomplishments. To help you with this, there are several good references at the end of this book. In addition, I have included a timeline to help you link the events of his life together in time and a series of short biographical sketches of the key individuals in the story. Thank you for purchasing this book, and I hope you enjoy your time reading about one of America’s most influential presidents.

Doug West

August 2018

Introduction

A fierce personality with an iron will, Andrew Jackson was an important statesman who left a historic mark on the expansion and consolidation of the United States. Known among both his friends and his enemies as Old Hickory, after the hardwood tree, he rose to fame during the War of 1812, where his victories revealed the tenacity and courage that would later transform him into one of the most influential and controversial American presidents.

Andrew Jackson was a self-made man who was born on the frontier and grew up to become one of Tennessee’s first and most important political figures, before serving as the seventh president of the United States between 1829 and 1837. Although he had a successful legal career and was involved in public life for years, Jackson’s political career flourished only after his involvement in important military campaigns. His first remarkable victory was against the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, where he and his troops took control of vast territories that had been formerly occupied by the Creeks. In 1815, he and his army defeated a much larger British force at the Battle of New Orleans. The event prompted Jackson’s immediate ascent to power and transformed him into a national hero. In