Andrew Jackson Ambiguity

Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States, was a prominent political figure in early 19th century America. In contrast to the presidents who preceded him, he was a “self-made man,” growing up in the underdeveloped backwoods territory of the Carolinas and receiving little formal academic instruction beyond his primary education in local schools. He was the first president to truly be a common man; his antecedents had all come from wealthy families along the east coast and were very well education. His simple background resonated with many Americans at the time; his election seemed like a triumph for the common people and for democracy. Andrew Jackson was born on March 15, 1767 in the Waxhaw area along the border between the Carolinas – although he identified as a South-Carolinian, there is some ambiguity in the …show more content…
He read law for about two years in North Carolina before entering the bar in 1787. He soon traveled to the territory that would later be known as Tennessee and was appointed as a prosecuting attorney in Nashville in 1788. Succeeding there, Jackson developed his own legal practice along with other business ventures, acquired land and slaves, built a mansion, and married Rachel Donelson Robards in 1794. Jackson was actively involved in Tennessee’s government; he became the District Attorney around Nashville in 1791, and in 1796 traveled to Philadelphia to push for statehood as a member of the constitutional convention. He was the first man from Tennessee to be a part of the U.S. House of Representatives, and also served as its Senator from 1797-1798. He soon returned home and became the judge of Tennessee’s superior court. In 1802 he won an election against Governor John Servier to serve as the major general of the state militia, a position he held until the War of