Andrew Jackson had a complex family history. Though he and his wife Rachel Jackson had no biological children, they had a rich marriage and many inter-relationships with children that they adopted or for whom they served as guardians, including those for whom Rachel was a biological aunt.

Was Andrew Jackson born into a wealthy family?

Born in poverty, Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) had become a wealthy Tennessee lawyer and rising young politician by 1812, when war broke out between the United States and Britain.

How did Andrew Jackson lose his family?

Too young for formal soldiering, Andrew and his brother Robert fought with American irregulars. In 1781, they were captured and contracted smallpox, of which Robert died shortly after their release. While trying to retrieve some nephews from a British prison ship, Andrew’s mother also fell ill and died.

When did Andrew Jackson lose his family?

Jackson had two older brothers who came with his parents from Ireland, Hugh (born 1763) and Robert (born 1764). Jackson’s exact birthplace is unclear. Jackson’s father died at the age of 29 in a logging accident while clearing land in February 1767, three weeks before his son Andrew was born.

Did Andrew Jackson have any children of his own?

Andrew and Rachel never had any biological children of their own, yet there were always children living at The Hermitage. When Rachel’s brother and sister-in-law gave birth to twin boys, the Jacksons adopted one of them as their own in 1809.

Why is Andrew Jackson on the $20 dollar bill?

Andrew Jackson has appeared on the $20 bill since the series of 1928. Although 1928 coincides with the 100th anniversary of Jackson’s election as president, it is not clear why the portrait on the bill was switched from Grover Cleveland to Jackson.

Was Andrew Jackson raised in poverty?

Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States (1829-1837), was the first to come from poverty. The youngest of three sons of Scotch-Irish immigrants, he grew up in rural South Carolina and attended local schools before leaving school to join the Army at age 13 during the American Revolution.

Who did Jackson blame for Rachel’s death?

Just after Jackson won the presidential election, Rachel’s final downturn in her illness began. She died on December 22, 1828. Her death devastated Andrew. Even though her maladies began as early as 1825, Jackson always blamed his political enemies for her death.

How did Andrew Jackson punish his slaves?

He ordered harsh, even brutal, punishment for enslaved people who disobeyed orders. When an enslaved woman named Betty was judged to be “guilty of some improper conduct,” he wrote to his overseer that she “must be ruled with the cowhide” and should be given fifty lashes the next time she misbehaved.

Did Andrew Jackson fight for slaves?

Andrew Jackson supported and participated in the institution of slavery. Not only did he own slaves himself, but he often stood against abolitionists, believing them to be a threat to national unity. Jackson’s support of slavery is a blemish on his record of standing up for the common man.

Which president was an orphan?

Hoover lived in Iowa only for the first decade of his life. Orphaned at the age of nine, he began an odyssey that would make him a multi-millionaire, international humanitarian, secretary of commerce, and President of the United States.

Which presidents did not have children?



Polk, remains the only U.S. president never to have fathered or adopted any known children. Coincidentally, as of November 2020, the U.S.’ tenth president, John Tyler, has two grandsons who are still alive today, despite the fact that he was born in 1790.

How many times has Andrew Jackson been shot?

Andrew Jackson was shot twice. He was wounded once very close to his heart; he survived that bullet.

Which president came from a wealthy family?

Founding fathers George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison all came from wealthy land-owning families. Money and connections have long helped scions of America’s wealthiest families realize their presidential dreams.

Where did Andrew Jackson’s wealth come from?

After the American Revolution young Jackson moved to west to seek his fortune on the frontier, which in those days was barely west of the Appalachians. Once settled in Nashville, he became a politician, a land speculator, a land owner, a slave owner and eventually a state militia general.

How much money did Andrew Jackson have?



List of presidents by peak net worth

Name Net worth (millions of 2022 US$) Political party
Andrew Jackson 159 Democratic
James Madison 136 Democratic-Republican
Lyndon B. Johnson 131 Democratic
Herbert Hoover 100 Republican

Was Andrew Jackson raised by his father?

Jackson’s father, for whom he was named, died shortly before he was born. Raised by his widowed mother in the Waxhaws settlement located near the North Carolina and South Carolina border, Jackson grew up with a large extended family that were also Scots-Irish immigrant farmers.

How many slaves did Andrew Jackson owned before he died?

By the time he was president, he owned nearly one hundred slaves; an estate inventory following Jackson’s death counted 161 slaves, split between The Hermitage and a Mississippi plantation.

Did Andrew Jackson pay his slaves?

More importantly, even when Jackson did live up to paternalistic ideals, the enslaved people he owned could not leave his property without his consent, had no access to education, and worked long hours with no pay.