Jackson was a backwoods sort of fellow who combined a rough sense of egalitarianism with gentlemanly honor typical of his class. Jackson was born on March 15,1767, in South Carolina. He was the third son of Scotch-Irish immigrants. His father died before his birth and his mother and two older brothers died during the Revolutionary war, leaving him orphaned and all alone at age fourteen. Jackson fought in the war from 1779 to 1781, during this time he was captured by the British and wounded in the head by a British officer for not polishing his boots.
At age seventeen Jackson began to study law. This practice moved him to the area of Tennessee, where he became a prominent lawyer by the age of twenty. While in Tennessee he was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Soon after his position in the U.S. House he was elected Senator but resigned after only one year. It was after his time in the Senate that he was appointed the title of Major General of the Tennessee militia. During the War of 1812, he and his troops won the battle of New Orleans. Some say that this was the greatest victory in the war. This victory really set Jackson on a pedestal in the states, and all of the sudden Jackson was thought of as a national hero, and was now commissioned in to the U.S. Army as U.S. Major General, a far greater role than that which he held in the militia. In 1823 Jackson reclaimed his seat in the Senate and decides to run for the office of President in 1924.
Jackson was not a man of great knowledge, in fact he did not even have a college education, which was rare for a Presidential candidate , even back so long ago. The race of 1824 was between four men and even though Jackson won the majority of the popular tally, most of the electoral went to John Quincy Adams. When the House announced their decision of John Adams, Jackson thundered that he was a victim of a "corrupt bargain" between Adams and Henry Clay. Jackson didn't let up, and in the election of 1828 he defeated Adams for the presidency, and claimed that "the majority is to govern". Jackson also won the following election in 1832.
Since we are concentrating mainly on speeches in this class, I decided to find one of his speeches and tell a little about it. The speech that I found and wrote about was the reply to his welcome in Carthage, as the guest of honor at a fourth of July celebration. Jackson came marching in to town with many of his fine commanders and soldiers of the day and was meet by Governor Houston, the Governor finished the last eight miles of the march with Jackson. The entire day was celebrated by fine music and food all day long. There were about 3000 people on hand to enjoy the festivities of eating, fellowship, music, and patriotism.
At about two O'clock in the afternoon the people began to seat and eat while Col. A.W. Overton got up on to the wooden platform built for Jackson and gave a great introduction speech. Overton went on for about fifteen minutes or so telling the people of General Jackson's many accomplishments and attributions to the American people. This went on the entire time that Overton was on the stage, nothing but praise and thank-you's. Jackson replied with what I believe was a pre-written speech, that was probably wrote by one of his advisors. It was short and to the point, mainly thanking Col. Overton for his kind remarks in his introduction and for the people of Carthage for inviting him to celebrate the fourth of July an their town of Carthage.
Jackson's presidential actions left the precedency much stronger than it had been and left this nation with a new sense of patriotism. He was loved by some and hated by others, but left his mark on the offices he held and the people he meat, everywhere he went. There were many firsts" that came along with Jackson, from the way he handled elections to being the first President to be the target of an assassination attempt. This man will not only be remembered as the seventh President, but also as a great man of power.
Jason Hall JTH5523@uncwil.edu