Andrew Jackson:A Quick Background
Andrew Jackson was born on March 15, 1767, in a log cabin. His father died before he was born, and he grew up around his mother and two borthers. His oldest brother, Hugh, was killed in the Revolutionary War. When he was 13, Jackson and his other brother, Robert, joined the army as messengers of the South Carolina Militia. When British soldiers charged into South Carolina, Jackson and his brother were taken prisoner. When a British officer ordered Jackson to shine his shoes amd Jackson refused, the officer struck Jackson with his sword. This event provoked his lasting hatred against the British.
After the War Jackson became a public prosecutor in western North Carolina. In 1791 Andrew married Rachel Robards. The two mistakenly beilieved that Rachel's divorce with her previous husband had been finalized. The couple remarried in 1794. Jackson was extremely protective of his wife and killed a man during a duel in 1806. Andrew took control of the militia in the War of 1812. Jackson again rejoined the militia to pursue Seminole indians that had been staging raids into Georgia. Jackson soon captured Florida for the US. After barely losing the presidential election of 1824, Jackson rebounded and won the election of 1828. After two terms, he left office.
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