Andrew Jackson: The Populist President

Q: Who was Andrew Jackson?

Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the United States, serving from 1829 to 1837. Prior to achieving the presidency, he rose to fame as a general who defeated the British at the Battle of New Orleans.

Q: What is Andrew Jackson most known for?

Andrew Jackson is most known for being a founder of the Democratic Party, ushering in the populist era of 'Jacksonian Democracy', signing the Indian Removal Act that displaced tens of thousands of Native Americans, and expanding the power of the executive branch.

Q: Why is Andrew Jackson considered a populist?

Andrew Jackson is sometimes considered a populist president because he presented himself as a man of the people who promised to root out corruption in the federal government and destroy powerful elite institutions like the Bank of the United States.

Harrison W. Mark

Definition

Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) was an American military officer and politician who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. From humble beginnings as a frontier lawyer in Tennessee, he rose to national prominence after his victory at the Battle of New Orleans (8 January 1815). He ran for president on a populist platform, supported by the new Democratic Party, and won election in 1828. During his two terms, Jackson worked to strengthen the power of the presidency as he dealt with major incidents such as the Bank War and the Nullification Crisis. He signed the Indian Removal Act, which displaced tens of thousands of Native Americans and has often been considered an example of ethnic cleansing. He left office in 1837 but continued to exert significant influence over national politics until his death in 1845.

More about: Andrew Jackson

Timeline

Apr 1781
Andrew Jackson and his brother are captured by the British.
1788
Andrew Jackson moves to Nashville and meets Rachel Donelson.
30 May 1806
Future US President Andrew Jackson fights a duel with Charles Dickinson over insults Dickinson had thrown at Jackson's wife. Dickinson fired first, striking Jackson in the chest; Jackson then fired, killing Dickinson. The bullet remained in Jackson's chest the rest of his life.
8 Jan 1815
The pirate leader Jean Lafitte assists General Andrew Jackson in the successful defence of New Orleans against a British attack.
1824
Andrew Jackson is a presidential candidate; John Quincy Adams wins the election.
1828
Andrew Jackson wins the presidential election.
1829 - 1831
The Petticoat affair, a political scandal involving Peggy Eaton, wife of the US secretary of war, dominates the first years of Andrew Jackson's presidency.
4 Mar 1829
Andrew Jackson is inaugurated as the 7th president of the United States.
28 May 1830
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 is signed by US President Andrew Jackson mandating the removal of Native Americans from their ancestral lands to others west of the Mississippi River, mostly the so-called "Indian Territory" of present-day Oklahoma, on the journey known as the Trail of Tears.
1833
The American Whig Party forms in opposition to Andrew Jackson's presidency.
30 Jan 1835
The first assassination attempt on a sitting US President occurs when unemployed house-painter Richard Lawrence tries to shoot President Andrew Jackson near the US Capitol. Both of Lawrence's pistols misfired due to damp weather and he was subdued by Jackson who beat him with his cane.