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Andrew Jackson
Major General, U.S. Army
"One man with courage makes a majority."
Biography
Andrew Jackson rose from poverty on the Carolina frontier to become the most celebrated American military hero of his generation. Orphaned at fourteen during the Revolutionary War — during which a British officer slashed his hand and face for refusing to clean his boots — Jackson carried lifelong scars and a burning hatred of the British. As a Tennessee lawyer and militia general he acquired a reputation for ferocity and iron will, qualities he demonstrated fully during the War of 1812. His obliteration of the Red Stick Creeks at Horseshoe Bend and his stunning victory at New Orleans transformed him into a national icon. Jackson parlayed his wartime fame into a political career culminating in the presidency in 1828, where he fundamentally reshaped American democracy — for better and for worse.
Did you know?
Jackson carried two bullets in his body for most of his life — one from a duel in 1806, another from a brawl with Senator Thomas Hart Benton in 1813, just months before he led the Creek War campaign.
Key Battles
Battle of Horseshoe Bend
United States victoryMarch 27, 1814 · 1,101 total casualties
Horseshoe Bend effectively ended the Creek War and destroyed Red Stick Creek power. The subsequent Treaty of Fort Jackson forced the Creeks to cede 23 million acres of land. The battle launched Andrew Jackson onto the national stage as America's greatest military hero, setting him on the path to the presidency.
Battle of New Orleans
United States victoryJanuary 8, 1815 · 2,792 total casualties
Though fought after peace was concluded, New Orleans was the most lopsided American battlefield victory of the entire war. It erased the memory of earlier humiliations and gave Americans a triumphant narrative to conclude the conflict. Jackson became the hero of a generation and rode his fame to the White House in 1828. The battle also secured American control of the Mississippi River and the Louisiana Territory.
Life Journey
Timeline
March 15, 1767
🌅 Birth
Born in the Waxhaws, Carolinas
1787
career
Admitted to the bar in Wadesboro, North Carolina
1788
residence
Settled in Nashville, Tennessee
1806
event
Killed Charles Dickinson in a duel; carried the bullet for life
March 27, 1814
⚔️ Battle
Victory at Horseshoe Bend; destroyed Red Stick Creek nation
August 1814
⚔️ Battle
Seized Pensacola from Spanish Florida
January 8, 1815
⚔️ Battle
Annihilated British assault at New Orleans
June 8, 1845
✝️ Death
Died at The Hermitage, Nashville