Andrew Jackson

Born in the Waxhaws region on March 15, 1767, Andrew Jackson was orphaned young after the American Revolution and later trained as a lawyer. He built his career on the Tennessee frontier, where he became a prominent attorney, planter, and rising political figure.

Jackson first won national fame as a military leader, especially after his victory at the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. That fame helped carry him to the presidency in 1829, and he served two terms as the seventh president of the United States. He was known for presenting himself as a champion of the “common man” and for reshaping the power of the presidency.

At the same time, Jackson is deeply controversial. His presidency was closely tied to the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the forced displacement of Native nations, a policy that led to immense suffering and death. He died at the Hermitage near Nashville, Tennessee, on June 8, 1845.