Uncovering America's Heritage... Coin by Coin

2008 Andrew Jackson Presidential $1 Coin

This month, I present the Andrew Jackson Presidential $1 Coin.  Andrew Jackson, President of the United States from 1829 through 1837, was born in 1767.  Jackson became Tennessee’s first congressman, elected to the House of Representatives.

Jackson later fought in the Creek War and the First Seminole War in Florida.  But what made him a national hero was the battle that he led as a general against the British in New Orleans in 1814.  His troops found his strict leadership as tough as hickory, and the nickname "Old Hickory" stuck.

Unlike presidents before him, Jackson did not come from a well-to-do family or have a strong formal education.  And that’s part of what made him so popular with voters.  He also used his veto power to take command instead of relying on Congress to set the nation’s course.  Jackson vetoed a dozen bills, more than the first six presidents put together.

Jackson’s style played a major part in the Republican party’s split into two separate parties:  the Democratic Republicans, or Democrats, and the National Republicans, or Whigs, who opposed Jackson.

Jackson's health was never good.  At times during his presidency, it seemed he would not live to finish out his term.  But in 1837, he retired to his Tennessee estate called The Hermitage and stayed active in politics.  He helped Martin Van Buren to win the presidency and worked for the annexation of Texas.  Jackson died at the Hermitage on June 8, 1845.

Read more about "Old Hickory" on his Presidential $1 Coin page.

—Nero