Verified Document

Andrew Jackson Term Paper

Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the United States and a controversial historical figure. He owned slaves, as did many American men in his time, and he helped banish the Native Americans from their homelands. In some ways, these actions make Andrew Jackson truly one of the forefathers of the United States, a country that cannot escape some of the horrors of its history. However, Andrew Jackson also managed to make his mark as a true hero. He overcame great hardship in his life, fought bravely, and contributed to American politics with passion. James C. Curtis describes the ups and downs of Andrew Jackson's life in his book: Andrew Jackson and the Search for Vindication. The title of the biography reflects the fact that Andrew Jackson felt persecuted throughout much of his life and often felt he had to fight back hard to earn respect and trust. The most famous of Jackson's fights was the duel he fought with Aaron Burr, but Andrew Jackson fought many battles throughout his life, some of which were physical and many of which were purely political. More than anything, Curtis shows that Andrew Jackson was a product of his environment and of his times, and in spite of his shortcomings helped the United States become a stronger union. Andrew Jackson and the Search for Vindication is a brief book, less than two hundred pages long. It is divided into nine main chapters that deal with a specific aspect of Jackson's life. The chapters loosely follow the timeline of the former president's life. Jackson's parents were both from Northern Ireland and migrated to what would soon become the United States of America. When the Jackson family moved to the New World, they encountered various "harsh realities," from ethnic and religious tensions to outright violence (Curtis 3). Andrew Jackson's father, who had the same name, died before Andrew junior was born. Having...

In his early childhood, Andrew was known for his "wildness," and misbehaved regularly (Curtis 7). He was 'not a particularly happy youngster," and "had an ugly temper, was full of anger that he could not control, and ... thrived on conflict," (Curtis 8). These early outbursts would continue throughout the rest of Jackson's life, and as the man gained political power and social status, the implications of his aggressiveness became severe and far-reaching.
Jackson also lived through several wars, which undoubtedly altered his perception of humanity and of life in general. Jackson's first war experience was as a militiaman during the American War for Independence. He was captured by the British, imprisoned, and nearly died. Soon thereafter, his brother and his mother died, which "left deep scars on Andrew Jackson's personality," (Curtis 10). Jackson felt partly responsible for his mother's death, which may be an early reason Andrew Jackson looked for some sort of vindication throughout his entire life. After his mother's death, Andrew suffered through an "aimless existence" that would change after Jackson sought training and employment as a lawyer a few years later (Curtis 10).

Curtis shows how Andrew Jackson was a quintessential early American. He settled on one of the new Western Appalachian frontiers and therefore held dear the concept of "manifest destiny." Jackson also proudly owned, bought, and sold slaves and had no moral qualms about the institution of slavery. Furthermore, Jackson resented and feared the Native Americans and did much to force them to flee their own lands. Curtis also portrays Jackson as a sharp individualist who acted first out of his own self-interest, more…

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Curtis, James. Andrew Jackson and the Search for Vindication. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1976.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Andrew Jackson's Presidency a View to Defining the Good and Bad
Words: 4088 Length: 12 Document Type: Term Paper

Andrew Jackson's Presidency: A View to Defining the Good and Bad Andrew Jackson is lauded by many as one of the greatest generals and presidents in United States history, and is vilified as one of the most damaging of all time. The fact is that he had some incredible successes in his career that were accompanied by dramatic failures, at least in the minds of some. Jackson himself had so much

Andrew Jackson the Humble and Modest Imagery
Words: 1444 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

Andrew Jackson The humble and modest imagery which accompanies Andrew Jackson at his inauguration is an image consistent with his reputation as a defender of individual rights and as a man of the people- one no different from everyday lay persons. Many of Andrew Jackson's decisions in office, however, challenge this image and reputation. There is a degree of tension between his conduct and the ideals and values attributed to him-some

Andrew Jackson Has the Dubious
Words: 2794 Length: 7 Document Type: Term Paper

.. The philanthropist will rejoice that the remnant of that ill-fated race has at length been placed beyond the reach of injury or oppression. Jackson was also moved by his early years as a frontier layer, traveling from court to court as an attorney or anything really was fraught with danger and many sleepless nights holding a vigil for one's safety from Indians. What he specifically did with this information and this

Andrew Jackson in Retrospect, the
Words: 908 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

Similarly, Jackson likewise took actions against people and land as he did with money and commerce. Indian Removal, Land Sale, and the Opening of the West In a strange irony, much of the opening of the Western United States to white settlers came as a result of some rather questionable tactics on the part of Andrew Jackson. Regardless of the motives, Jackson, it should be noted, supported and coordinated the forced

Andrew Jackson How the Exaltation of the
Words: 1308 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Andrew Jackson [...] how the exaltation of the common man, the sense of America as a redeemer nation destined for expansion across the North American continent, and white Americans' racial attitudes toward Native Americans east of the Mississippi River combined to produce a federal policy of Indian removal. Jackson was a popular president who helped perpetuate prejudice and racial inequality with his practices regarding the Native Americans. His Indian

Andrew Jackson's War Second Bank United States.
Words: 597 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Andrew Jackson's war Second Bank United States. Be include key people, events, Andrew Jackson's conflict with the Second Bank of the United States represented a crucial time period in American history. In order to best elucidate the cause of the conflict, its repercussions, and the key players involved in it, it is necessary to return to the root of the reason that Jackson opposed such a financial institution. The bank

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now