Andrew Jackson -- 7th President

Andrew Jackson -- 7th President | Civics Matter

Biography

Andrew Jackson was born in 1767 on the Carolina frontier. Orphaned by age 14, he became a self-taught lawyer, a war hero famous for his victory at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815, and the first president from west of the Appalachians.

Jackson won the presidency in 1828 in a landslide, ushering in the era of "Jacksonian democracy."

His presidency was marked by the dismantling of the Second Bank of the United States, the Nullification Crisis with South Carolina, and the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which led to the Trail of Tears.

Key Events & Accomplishments

Signed the Indian Removal Act (1830), leading to the Trail of Tears
Vetoed the recharter of the Second Bank of the United States
Faced down the Nullification Crisis with South Carolina (1832-33)
Paid off the entire national debt (the only time in U.S. history)
Survived the first assassination attempt on a sitting president (1835)
Expanded voting rights for white men without property

Election Results

Year	Opponent	Electoral Vote	Popular Vote
1828	John Quincy Adams	178-83	+12.3%
1832	Henry Clay	219-49	+16.6%

Supreme Court Justices Appointed

Andrew Jackson appointed 1 justice to the Supreme Court.

Roger B. Taney

Confirmed 1836

Notable Quotes

“The bank is trying to kill me, but I will kill it.”
-- On the Second Bank of the United States

“One man with courage makes a majority.”

Did You Know?

Jackson is the only president to have been a prisoner of war.
He fought in multiple duels and carried two bullets in his body for most of his life.
He was the only president to pay off the entire national debt.

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Andrew Jackson

Key Facts