President Andrew Jackson Home ~ The Hermitage ~ Nashville, Tennessee

7th President of the U.S.

When my husband and I were driving through Nashville, Tennessee one year on our way to our vacation in the Smokey Mountains, we decided to stop off and see Andrew Jackson's home called The Hermitage.

Andrew Jackson certainly led an interesting, influential and colorful life that many people would applaud. His life actions also left a wake of individuals who would never sanction some of the decisions he made over the course of years.

His rise up the ranks to that of being the 7th President of the United States was a bumpy one and he did not win that position on his first try running against John Quincy Adams although it is said that he won the popular vote.

Resigning his position of being a United States Senator in Tennessee, he finally attained the rank of the Presidency against his former competitor and sitting President in the 1828 election. Andrew Jackson was the President from 1829 to 1837.

It seems the older a person gets, one becomes more interested in history...or at least that is the case with me.

Studying it in school I was more interested in passing the tests and getting good grades.

One college professor that I had lectured without books or props and actually made the stories seem to come alive and be relevant. If all history could be taught in that manner, perhaps history would become everyone's favorite course of subject matter.

History is important because...good or bad...hopefully we can build upon it and make improvements for people's lives going forward.

The past is the past and cannot be changed except to learn from it.

Andrew Jackson left much behind him by way of his political actions and words.

The birth of the Democratic Party is one lasting piece of his legacy.

This portrait of Andrew Jackson painted by Ralph E. W. Earl in 1837 shows him as he looked in the last year of his Presidency.

Holding the mantle of the Presidency of the United States seems to age all who reside in that office for a time. It is a position of power and influence and perks, but also a heavy burden of responsibility.

At least in my lifetime, most of the U.S. Presidents who have retired from that office all seem to have had their hair turn a bit grayer or whiter. Have you noticed the same?

Below is a portrait of Rachel who was Andrew Jackson's wife. Sadly she died just before his inauguration as President so she never saw him assume that title. She did live through the presidential campaign portions of time (which was quite nasty...even back then) prior to the election.

Both of these portraits are hung and on display in the Hermitage.

Slavery

It is undeniable that Andrew Jackson was a slave holder.

The time frame was prior to the Civil War.

Many wealthy plantation owners who grew cotton utilized the services of slaves in the fields to do the cotton farming.

Other slaves served in various capacities to maintain the large plantation houses.

In general, some slaves were treated fairly well and others were treated horribly with families torn apart and little regard given to their feelings.

Of course anytime a person is used against his or her free will, no matter how well they are treated, it is a travesty.

The history of slavery goes back to the earliest of times and in all cultures.

One gentleman slave after emancipation choose to not only remain at the Jackson plantation but also served as a docent at The Hermitage until his death. He requested and was granted permission to be buried there.

Hopefully this is an example of how the majority of the slaves were treated by Andrew Jackson, but of that of course I cannot factually say...only hope.

Below is a photo of the tomb on the site of the Hermitage where President Andrew Jackson and Rachel Jackson are buried.

The Trail of Tears

Another black mark credited to President Andrew Jackson was his attitude towards westward expansion and the taking of American Indian lands.

Oh sure...they were offered some money for their land, but they were truly given no choice in the matter. Many tribes reluctantly headed west to Oklahoma and other regions.

One tribe, the Cherokees,actually won a decision in the Supreme Court enabling them to stay on their ancestral lands but Jackson ignored this and used the military to force them to leave. This enforced evacuation of the entire tribe...women, children and elderly included...caused many of them to die en-route. Forever after it has been labeled "the trail of tears."

"Old Hickory"

Andrew Jackson got this nickname because of his toughness. Not only had he survived a rough frontier existence, his father dying before he was born and his mother and brother both dying when he was still a teenager, but his aggressiveness towards the battles of life prevailed.

A self starter (after some wiles of youth) saw him as a successful lawyer followed by a successful military career and then a successful political career in addition to his farming practices.

From a background with nothing of material means he became a wealthy man.

Andrew Jackson will probably always remain a controversial figure. None-the-less he achieved much in his lifetime. For more details about his life and his accomplishments click on the various links and videos provided in this hub.

One interesting note...the 7th President of the U.S. is on every $20 bill printed although he truly believed paper money to be bad and preferred gold and silver to be the currency of choice. We have gotten so far removed from the "gold standard" and now the printing of excess dollars to meet government expenses causes every paper dollar to be devalued. Perhaps Andrew Jackson foresaw problems like this? We will never know!

Suffice it to say that my husband and I learned more about him on our visit to his 1,000+ acre plantation and retirement home called the Hermitage located in Nashville, Tennessee. It was the Fall of the year and the colored leaves just added to the beauty and our enjoyment of visiting this historic site.