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Andrew Jackson (1767)close

Born in a backwoods settlement in the Carolinas in 1767, Andrew Jackson received sporadic education. But in his late teens he read law for about two years, and he became an outstanding young lawyer in Tennessee. Fiercely jealous of his honor, he engaged in brawls, and in a duel killed a man who cast an unjustified slur on his wife Rachel. He became a major general in the War of 1812, and Jackson became a national hero when he defeated the British at New Orleans.

Jackson's political views won approval from the American electorate and in 1832 he polled more than 56 percent of the popular vote and almost five times as many electoral votes as his opponent to become President of the United States. After serving as President, "Old Hickory" retired to his home called the Hermitage, where he died in June 1845. His portrait appears on the 20 dollar bill.

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This page presents short biographies of more than 200 famous Americans drawn from our unit, "The 50 States." These personalities are arranged by theme.

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