The Hermitage

Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the United States. Born in South Carolina on March 15, 1767, he was the third son of Scotch-Irish parents. His father died before Jackson was born, both of his brothers died in the Revolutionary War, and his mother was dead by the time he was fourteen years old, leaving him an orphan.

A strong and resilient youth, Jackson pursued a career in law that led him to public service, first as a prosecuting officer for the Superior Court in Nashville, Tennessee. He was elected the State of Tennessee's first congressman and later elected U.S. Senator, but he resigned after only one session, returning home to serve as a judge on the Tennessee Supreme Court.

During the War of 1812 General Jackson emerged as a national military hero with his decisive defeat of the British Army at the Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815. It was during this period the General earned the nickname "Old Hickory."

Jackson's presidency (1829-1837) was significant in several ways: he was the first populist president not of the aristocracy, the first to have his vice-president resign (John C. Calhoun), the first to be nominated at a national convention (his second term), the first to use an informal "Kitchen Cabinet" of advisers, and the first to use the "pocket veto" to kill a congressional bill. He was also the first president to survive an assassination attempt and the only president to pay off the national debt.

During his residency in the White House he oversaw many improvements, including the famous north portico. Even during his retirement years at The Hermitage, Jackson remained influential in national politics. He died at The Hermitage on June 8, 1845. The Hermitage is just 15 minutes from downtown Nashville, I-40 to exit 221.
You can visit them on the web at www.thehermitage.com