Andrew jackson education

List of violent incidents involving Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson, later seventh president of the United States, was involved in a series of altercations in his personal and professional life. According to historian J. M. Opal, "[Jackson's] willingness to kill, assault, or threaten people was a constant theme in his adult life and a central component of the reputation he cultivated."[1]:&#;70&#; One writer who investigated Jackson's brief residence circa –89 in what is now East Tennessee reported, "He was recognized from the first as a man who 'would fight at the drop of a hat, and drop the hat himself.'"[2] Per biographer Robert V.

Remini, Jackson had a "vicious temper that frequently exploded into ugly language and acts,"[3]:&#;7&#; and such a temper tantrum, "so furious and startlingly sudden, intimidated his victims by its abruptness and its noisiness. Unfortunately, Jackson could not resist playing the bully when it suited his purpose."[3]:&#;&#;

Jackson killed a man and was himself shot twice.

It has been hyperbolically claimed that Jackson "participated in more than duels over his lifetime" but that is not correct.[4] That said, in a man named Dr. James L. Armstrong, who had been a surgeon in Jackson's militia in the War of ,[5] claimed that he had started making a list of altercations involving Jackson and the final list "accumulated to nearly ONE HUNDRED FIGHTS or violent and abusive quarrels," although Armstrong's index, published under the title General Jackson's "juvenile indiscretions" between the ages of 23 and 60, listed but 14 instances.[6] Shortly after the publication of this document, a Kentucky newspaper claimed that four men, including Archibald Yell, stopped by to "assassinate" Dr.

Armstrong in Bedford County for writing anti-Jackson columns, chasing him down and clubbing him. A comment from another correspondent was appended to the report which stated, "This is Jacksonism in its true colors such as the Hero in early times has often acted himself!"[7] Similarly, during the presidential election, Jesse Benton, brother of U.S.

Senator Thomas Hart Benton (and very much an interested party in questions of Jacksonian violence, as he was involved in a knock-down-drag-out tavern brawl with Jackson in ; see below), published a pamphlet that stated, "The first conspicuous acts of his life in Tennessee, may be found at the race-ground and cock-fight. At such places he was for many years, even up to the period of his joining the army, a leader and conspicuous actor.

And it is a notorious fact, that he was scarce ever known to leave a race-round without having participated in an affray or riot, or at least a quarrel."[8]

Jackson's apparent propensity for physical violence was very much an issue for the anti-Jacksonians in the and presidential election. One Delaware voter wrote his local newspaper to this effect:[9]

It would be an endless task to notice with proper comment the many disqualifying traits in the character and conduct of General Jackson.

I shall, therefore, for the present, only notice some of those breaches of law, both human and divine, contempt of order and good government, and violations of the principles of humanity of which he has been guilty and which are not denied by his partizans but which they attempt to excuse or justify—and then simply ask whether such excuses and justifications will satisfy your minds that such a man ought to be president of this UnionThey do not deny, that Andrew Jackson has often been engaged in the most disgraceful broils and riots in the streets and taverns of Nashville, shooting with pistols and stabbing with dirks on all hands of him.

But they tell you that we have no right to investigate his private character, and that his quarrels, duels, adulteries and murders, furnish no arguments against his fitness for an office, where patience, ability and virtuous principles are indispensable requisites to the continuance of the good Government and liberties of our country.[9]

Despite Jackson's leadership of militia in the War of , the Creek War, and the Seminole War, historians have found that "there is no explicit account of his actually firing at an enemy in standard battle."[10]

Fights, duels, beatdowns, and attempts at same

  • Duel with Waightstill Avery, , both men fired into the air;[11] the cause seems to have been Avery ridiculing a legal argument made by Jackson in court, with one variation being "that Jackson had ridiculed Avery's pet authority—Bacon's Abridgment—and Avery, in his retort, had grown, as he afterwards admitted, too sarcastic, intimating that Jackson had much to learn before he would be competent to criticize any law book whatever." Avery reportedly gave Jackson a fatherly lecture after the duel was over and kept the written challenge filed amongst his myriad papers as "Challenge from Andrew Jackson." John Adair was Avery's second.[12]
  • Duel with unidentified opponent near Jonesboro, Tennessee, probably , but sometime before November , "'in the long meadow,' as it was then called (formerly the 'hollow'), on the north side of town, and they all asserted that the duel with Avery was fought on the hill on the south sideHe said that Jackson hit his man, but he was not seriously wounded, and soon recovered and left the community; that Jackson was not touched."[2]
  • Allegedly, according to an Adams-aligned paper in , while Jackson was a judge (between and ), "it so happened that a man, with whom he had previously been at variance, and who had insulted him, made his appearance in the Court Room.

    The Judge, on recognising him, threw off his coat, assailed him with a cow-hide, and whipped him to his heart's satisfaction!"[13]

  • Roadside standoff in between Jackson and John Sevier, pistols and a sword were drawn;[10] Remini speculated that "with all this dallying it is possible that neither man really wanted to risk his life and career on a duel but that both wished to stigmatize the other with a refusal to fight.

    Perhaps it should be pointed out that Sevier had eighteen children."

  • Jackson beat Virginia attorney Thomas Swann with a cane at a tavern, late or early , part of the long lead-up to the fatal-for-Dickinson Jackson–Dickinson duel[15]
  • Duel with Charles Dickinson, May 30, , Jackson killed Dickinson[16]
  • In , Jackson was tried and acquitted on charges of assault with intent to kill against Samuel Jackson (no relation, as far as historians can tell), during which A.

    Jackson brought a hidden knife to a rock fight. S. Jackson was not seriously injured, if at all, and the pair later did business with one another.[17][10]

  • According to various reliable sources, threatened a federal agent in One description has it that "when he approached the Agency, he armed his negroes with axes, hired some half breed Indians with their arms—marched by the agency in military order, himself at their head with the cap of his holsters thrown back, and his rifle cocked",[18] and later successfully campaigned to have the agent's boss, Silas Dismoor, fired from his job.[19]
  • In Jackson participated in an organized-in-advance (as opposed to spontaneous) brawl at Nashville tavern with Thomas Hart Benton (great-great-uncle of the painter), Jesse Benton, John Coffee, Stockley Hays, and Alexander Donelson.

    Andrew jackson biography video Andrew Jackson. More nearly than any of his predecessors, Andrew Jackson was elected by popular vote; as President he sought to act as the direct representative of the common man. Born in a backwoods settlement in the Carolinas in , he 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.

    The men deployed knives, and whips, and shot each other with pistols; Jesse Benton shot Jackson in the shoulder or arm and Jackson was seriously injured.[20] At age 46, this was Jackson's last gunfight. According to Remini in , "Like the others, there was something petty about it. None of Jackson's quarrels did him credit; all diminished him."[3]:&#;&#; As of , there were still two bullets from this fight embedded in the wall of the tavern and "and to which some of the hot headed Tennesseans daily offer repeated and hearty libations."[21]

  • Date unclear (s?), Jackson allegedly caned a man who suggested that he was the father of a girl called Sally Meagher who lived near the Third Chickasaw Bluff (now Memphis) and what is now called President's Island; "the account published of this caning by his enemies, some fifteen years later, was very prejudicial to Jackson.

    It was even stated that several of his friends stood by with cocked pistols, threatening to kill the follow if he moved.

    Andrew jackson biography amazon: Andrew Jackson (March 15, – June 8, ) was the seventh president of the United States, serving from to Before his presidency, he gained fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses of the U.S. Congress.

    The General gave some grounds for this charge by his excessive fondness for Sally, and the common opinion was that he would either adopt her or do something handsome for her."[22] Paddy Meagher was some kind of vassal to Jackson, although no one entirely understood the arrangement. As for Sally, "Jackson once thrashed a fellow for talking about Sally.

    Sally was short and thick, and had red hair and a ready wit, all of which she inherited from Paddy. She had talented legs as well as a talented tongue, and could outdance the rest of the young women of the neighborhood. She drew custom to Paddy's bar, where a free and easy manner reigned."[23] In , either the first or second property deed ever registered in Memphis (a town that began as a land speculation of Jackson, John Overton, and James Winchester) was lot 43, recorded in the name of Sally Meagher.[24] Both Paddy Meagher and Sally Meagher both eventually died of illnesses related to alcohol dependence.[24]

  • In , Jackson and Jesse Benton had a sequel to their Nashville tavern brawl, only this time the venue was the Bell Tavern in Memphis.

  • Andrew jackson biography amazon
  • Andrew jackson biography presidency
  • President andrew jackson early life

    • The second time around Jesse Benton was beaten.[22]

  • During an assassination attempt while he was president, at age 68, Jackson "armed only with a cane, he had valiantly charged forth to do battle with an assassin carrying two pistols."[25]:&#;&#;

Threats

  • The highest and best use of Jackson's propensity for threatening people was probably in , the first year of his service as a state judge.

    A man named Russell Bean had returned from an extended trip to the Natchez District, found his wife nursing a child he could not have fathered, and cut the baby's ears off.[27] Despite repeated attempts, the local sheriff failed to successfully execute the arrest warrant for Bean, a hulking and evidently well-armed master gunsmith.

    Jackson, on hearing this, armed himself with two pistols, found Bean and said something to the effect of "surrender, you infernal villainor I'll blow you through."[3]:&#;&#; In reply, Bean reportedly "called out, 'I'll surrender to you, Mr. Devil!' and laid down his arms."[2]

  • Allegedly threatened to hang attorney Jonathan Thompson "to the first tree, or highest tree" for pursuing legal action regarding Aaron Burr and/or Harman Blennerhassett's debts.[28]
  • Allegedly "swore by god he would shoot all his prisoners" if served a writ of habeas corpus for people detained under his declaration of martial law in New Orleans in –[9]
  • Allegedly "threatened personal violence to several of our senators" who were investigating or criticizing his illegal seizure of Florida, an invasion generally known as the First Seminole War.[9] To be specific, in January he apparently raged to his advisors that he should challenge Congressman Henry Clay to a duel for speaking out against him on the floor of the house and that he would "cut off [Abner] Lacock's ears" for heading the Senate select committee that "methodically gathered and sifted evidence" in the matter.[29]

See also

References

  1. ^Opal, J.

    M. (October ). "General Jackson's Passports: Natural Rights and Sovereign Citizens in the Political Thought of Andrew Jackson, s–s". Studies in American Political Development.

    Andrew jackson biography duel links A lawyer and a landowner, Andrew Jackson became a national war hero after defeating the British in the Battle of New Orleans during the War of Jackson was elected the seventh president of the United States in Known as the "people's president," Jackson destroyed the Second Bank of the United States , founded the Democratic Party, supported individual liberty and instituted policies that resulted in the forced migration of Native Americans. He died on June 8, Growing up in poverty in the Waxhaws wilderness, Jackson received an erratic education in the years before the Revolutionary War came to the Carolinas.

    27 (2): 69– doi/SX ISSN&#;X.

  2. ^ abcAllison, John (). "Dropped stitches in Tennessee history". HathiTrust. pp.&#;14, –, Retrieved
  3. ^ abcdRemini, Robert V.

    (). Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Empire, –. New York: Harper & Row. ISBN&#;. LCCN&#; OCLC&#;

  4. ^"Andrew Jackson was in more than duels! And he killed a man".
  5. ^"Tennessee militia". The Nashville Whig. p.&#;3. Retrieved
  6. ^Armstrong, James L.

    Reminiscences, or, An extract from the catalogue of General Jackson's "juvenile indiscretions" between the ages of 23 and 60 / [James L. Armstrong]. State Library of Pennsylvania.

  7. Andrew jackson accomplishments
  8. What did andrew jackson do as president
  9. Good things andrew jackson did as president
  10. How did andrew jackson die

    11. s.n. p.&#;8.

  11. ^"Assassination Attempted". Lexington Weekly Press. p.&#;3. Retrieved
  12. ^Benton, Jesse (September ). "Supplement to the Public Advertiser, Louisville, Kentucky". . Retrieved
  13. ^ abcd"To the Voters of Delaware & Reasons I will not support Andrew Jackson for President".

    Delaware State Journal, Advertiser and Star. p.&#;2. Retrieved

  14. ^ abcBurstein, Andrew (). The Passions of Andrew Jackson. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

    Andrew jackson biography kids Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States, is a figure of both admiration and controversy in American history. Jackson faced considerable adversity in his early life. His father, Andrew Jackson Sr. Tragically, his mother, Elizabeth Jackson, died of cholera when he was only 14 years old. Also Read: Andrew Jackson Timeline.

    ISBN&#;. LCCN&#; OCLC&#;

  15. ^"Duels". Andrew Jackson's Hermitage. Retrieved
  16. ^Arthur, John Preston. Western North Carolina: A History from –. pp.&#;– Retrieved &#; via HathiTrust.
  17. ^"Portraits of the Opposition, Vol. VIII, Andrew Jackson, Part 1 of 3".

    Literary Cadet and Rhode-Island Statesman. p.&#;1. Retrieved

  18. ^Cheathem, Mark R. (). Andrew Jackson, Southerner. Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Louisiana State University Press. p.&#; ISBN&#;. LCCN&#; OCLC&#; Project&#;MUSE&#;book&#;
  19. ^Brammer, Robert (). "Frontier Racing and Injured Pride: The Duel Between Andrew Jackson and Charles Dickinson | In Custodia Legis".

    The Library of Congress. Retrieved

  20. ^Onion, Rebecca (). "The "Coffin Handbill" Andrew Jackson's Enemies Used to Circulate Word of His "Bloody Deeds"". Slate. ISSN&#; Retrieved
  21. ^"Gen. Jackson and Silas Dinsmore". The Weekly Natchez Courier. p.&#;3. Retrieved
  22. ^Kennedy, Roger G.

    (). Burr, Hamilton, and Jefferson: A Study in Character. New York: Oxford University Press. pp.&#;– doi/acprof:oso/ ISBN&#;. LCCN&#; OCLC&#;

  23. ^""Now Defend Yourself, You Damned Rascal!"".

    Andrew jackson biography summary

    Andrew Jackson was the nations seventh president and another leader who had served in the Revolutionary war. Jackson came from a humble background and was able to overcome being orphaned at the age of After starting out as a lawyer, Jackson worked his way up through congress to start his political career. During his presidency he helped reform the governments spoils system. He emerged victorious in the war of , by defeating the British, and this earned him great respect in United States.

    AMERICAN HERITAGE. Retrieved

  24. ^"Portraits of the Opposition, No. VII". Literary Cadet and Rhode-Island Statesman. p.&#;2. Retrieved
  25. ^ abDavis, James D. (). "History of Memphis&#;: The history of the city of Memphis, being a compilation of the most important documents and historical events connected with the purchase "HathiTrust.

    pp.&#;– Retrieved

  26. ^"Old Bell Tavern Pays Debt to Time". The Commercial Appeal. p.&#;7. Retrieved
  27. ^ ab"Buying Property Here In Was No Profitable Job". The Commercial Appeal. p.&#;7. Retrieved
  28. ^Somit, Albert ().

    "Andrew Jackson: Legend and Reality". Tennessee Historical Quarterly. 7 (4): – ISSN&#; JSTOR&#;

  29. ^Remini, Robert V. (Summer ). "Andrew Jackson's Adventures on the Natchez Trace". Southern Quarterly. 29 (4). Hattiesburg, Mississippi: University of Southern Mississippi: 35– ISSN&#; OCLC&#;
  30. ^Wolfe, Margaret Ripley ().

    Daughters Of Canaan: A Saga of Southern Women. University Press of Kentucky. pp.&#;– ISBN&#;.

  31. ^"A brief and impartial history of the life and actions of Andrew Jackson / By a free man". HathiTrust. p.&#; Retrieved
  32. ^Belko, William S. (). America's Hundred Years' War.

    University Press of Florida. p.&#; doi/florida/ ISBN&#;.

Further reading