The Life Story of Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson was an American lawyer, soldier, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. He had one of the most controversial legacies as a President. During his term, Jackson sought to advance the rights of the "common man" against a "corrupt aristocracy" and to preserve the Union. He was one of the founders of the Democratic Party which is the oldest voter-based political party in the world and the oldest existing political party in the United States. It was a part of the "common man," and stood for individual rights and state sovereignty. 

In 1835, Jackson became the only president to completely pay off the national debt, fulfilling a longtime goal. While Jackson pursued numerous reforms designed to eliminate waste and corruption, his presidency marked the beginning of the ascendancy of the party "spoils system" in American politics. In his lifetime, Jackson came to represent what middle-class Americans viewed as the quintessential American.