Description

Andrew Jackson was one of the most controversial presidents in American History. Raised in the backwoods of Appalachia, he grew up amidst the violence of the Revolutionary War and carried violence with him throughout his life. Though his penchant for dueling left him with a bullet lodged in his chest, Jackson's combative nature served him well in his military career. He quickly rose to prominence as a celebrated Indian fighter and hero of the War of 1812, and his victories against the Spanish and the Seminole in Florida led to the further expansion of the United States. As president, Jackson squabbled with the South over tariffs and fought to dismantle the Second Bank of the United States. But his longest lasting legacy was his policy of Indian Removal. Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which resulted in the forcible relocation of multiple tribes to territories further west, a move that would become known as the Trail of Tears. In The Age of Jackson, follow Andrew Jackson's progress from fighting on the frontier to governing in the White House.