Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the USA. He was born in 1767 and died in 1845. He began his military career at the early age of thirteen at the Battle of Hanging Rock; occupations of a miscellaneous nature followed, and in 1788 he was public prosecutor in the western district of North Carolina, now Tennessee. He was in 1796-1797 the first Congressman from the State of Tennessee, and in 1797-1798 was US Senator. From 1798 to 1804 he was a Judge of the State Supreme Court. His life as a planter, not infrequently chequered with disputes and duels, was broken by the War of 1812. Jackson, 'Old Hickory', as he was called, commanded the Southwestern troops against the Creeks, whom he overwhelmed at the Horse-Shoe Bend of the Tallapoosa, on March the 27th, 1814. He was made a major-general, stormed Pensacola, and held New Orleans against Pakenham's invasion. The sweeping victory, on January the 8th, 1815, of his riflemen over the flower of the Peninsular army, made Jackson for all time an American hero of the country in general and of the Democratic party in particular. General Jackson's actions in Florida, the capture of St. Marks in 1818, and summary execution of two British subjects, led to considerable discussion.
He was appointed Governor of Florida in 1821, and became US Senator in 1823. In 1824 he received ninety-nine electoral votes for President, but was beaten in the House of Representatives. Elected in 1828 over the President, he entered office in 1829, the first Representative of the new West and of the masses. In his Cabinet, outside of Van Buren, there were few names of note; Jackson's real advisers were a coterie of practical politicians, Lewis, Amos Kendall and others of the so-called 'Kitchen Cabinet'. In 1831 he reorganized his Cabinet, and the next year was re-elected over Clay. The chief features of his eight years, 1829-1837, were his vigorous opposition to nullification and to the United States Bank, his censure by the Senate, his introduction of the " Spoils System," his settlement of the French spoliation dispute, and his 'Specie Circular' of 1836. After his retirement he continued to be regarded as the leader of the party, and died at the 'Hermitage', near Nashville. Jackson was of heroic character, but headstrong, arbitrary, vindictive and subject to the influence of politicians. Research Andrew Jackson
After the American War of Independence, the Federal Government of America found great difficulty in regulating the enormous tracts of public lands, which had been acquired through purchase and conquest from the Indians and by the cessions of the various States of their outlying territories. In 1787 the price of public land was 66.6 cents per acre, and large tracts north of the Ohio were disposed of. Unauthorized entries were frequently made, however, and force had to be used for dislodgment.
In 1790 Hamilton proposed that the public lands should be set apart in townships ten miles square, and disposed of to suit different classes of purchasers on a credit basis. The rectangular system was in fact adopted in 1796. Up to the year 1800 all sales had been made from the territory now included in Ohio and amounted to 1,484,047 acres. In 1800 local registers were established. The credit basis of sale caused numerous purchases, but payment was slow and in discouragingly small amounts, while the debtors constantly cried for relief. The States, too, claimed a share in the profits.
Upon the question of ceding public lands to new States, Henry Clay prepared for the land committee a report reviewing the history of the public lands and concluding that it was inexpedient either to reduce the price of the lands or to cede them to the new States. In 1835 speculation in public lands became popular, owing to the inflated condition of the currency, which proved injurious to the public interests. In 1836 Jackson issued his 'specie circular'. It was not until in 1840 that the right of pre-emption was accorded to settlers. By 1850 it became common to make grants of lands to States, corporations and individuals for public improvements, such as railroads and canals. In 1862 the homestead laws, granting free settlement on public lands, tended greatly to simplify matters and to promote real settlement. Research Public Lands
The specie circular was an American treasury circular drafted by SenatorBenton and issued at President Jackson's orders, on July 11th, 1836, which directed that nothing but gold and silver should be received in payment for the public lands. This was Jackson's last financial exploit. The circular was issued quite in opposition to the sentiment or will of Congress. The next Congress passed a bill to rescind this specie circular, but Jackson killed it by a pocketveto. The circular created much indignation throughout the country, and contributed greatly to the financial crash of 1837. Research Specie Circular
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