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Andrew Jackson was born in 1767 and died in 1845. He was also the seventh president of the United States. As Encarta Encyclopedia states, Jackson fought his way to leadership and wealth in a frontier society, and his success established a bond between him and the common people that was never broken. Small farmers, laborers, mechanics, and many other Americans struggling to better themselves looked to Jackson for leadership (1). Jackson moved his way up the chain of the military before becoming president. From an idea in Encarta Encyclopedia, Jackson was a Democrat that was also a hermit. The Democrats considered the opposing party, the National Republicans, later known as the Whigs, aristocrats (1). As McDuffie, Piggrem, and Woodworth stated, Andrew Jackson set many principles such as the spoils system, and the expansion of the electorate. He helped spread the electorate system to the west, and expanded it so not only white property owners could vote, but so whites that didn’t own property. All blacks could not vote and were excluded at all costs. (53). Although blacks and women were still left out of the picture, it helped set the basic properties for later on. The way he did it was not the best for common people, but he was still considered a great president by most people. As in Encarta Encyclopedia, three years before Andrew Jackson was born, his Scotch-Irish parents, emigrated to America from Northern Ireland. They had two sons at the time. Andrew’s Father took up farming, and died three days before Andrew was born. The widow Jackson moved her family into the home of a nearby relative, where Andrew spent his days growing up. He learned how to read, and was often called upon by the community to read the Philadelphia Newspaper. (3) Andrew Jackson held many military and other job positions while working his way up through the government chain. As in Encarta Encyclopedia, he started off by studying under Spruce Macay who was a lawyer in Salisbury, North Carolina. He started his own practice in 1787. He then was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. After one year in the House, Jackson was elected to fill out an unexpected term in the U.S. Senate. He served for over a year and then retired to his private life (3). As Robert S. Summers posted, in Tennessee, Jackson was appointed to judge of the state superior court. He was at that position for a... ...d or supplies. Instead of disbanding as ordered, he led his troops back to Tennessee without a scratch. They called him old hickory because he was a tough as hickory wood. And lastly, Jackson was the only president to have been a prisoner of war. He was thirteen when he joined the South Carolina militia to fight in the Revolutionary War. After his capture, he was ordered to clean the boots of a British officer. Jackson refused, so the officer drew his sword and slashed Jackson across the forehead and arm, which left a scar. This is the story of an amazing man who led the country to bigger and better things. He was a down to earth guy who made good decisions, and was tough and earned everything he got the hard way. Andrew Jackson is a class act that is as tough as an old hickory! Works Cited Jerome McDuffie, Gary Piggrem, and Steven Woodworth. AP History Guide. Piscataway, NJ: REA Publishing â€Å"Jackson, Andrew.† Encarta Encyclopedia. 1999. â€Å"Jackson, Andrew.† Britannica Encyclopedia. 1995. Summers, Robert S. â€Å"The Internet Public Library-Andrew Jackson.† <a href="http://www.ipl.org/ref/POTUS/ajackson.html">http://www.ipl.org/ref/POTUS/ajackson.html. 10 February 2000.