Andrew Jackson was born in Waxhaw, South Carolina, and received an informal education. In 1781, while serving in the South Carolina militia during the American Revolution, Jackson was captured and imprisoned by invading British soldiers, who killed his mother and two brothers. He later became a lawyer and opened his own law office in Nashville in 1788. Jackson rose in prominence, and in 1796 he helped write Tennessee’s state constitution. He won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1796 and in the U.S. Senate the following year. Between 1798 and 1804, Jackson served as a judge on the Supreme Court of Tennessee. During the War of 1812, he commanded the Tennessee militia and gained fame by defeating Creek Indians, earning the nickname “Old Hickory.” In 1815 he also defeated the British army in the Battle of New Orleans and became a national hero. After the war, he assisted in the acquisition of Florida from Spain. In 1823 he became a U.S. senator again, and the following year he ran unsuccessfully as a Democratic candidate for president. In 1828 he was elected president and served two terms. During his presidency, he vetoed the charter renewal of the Second Bank of the United States, completely paid off the national debt, and encouraged western expansion.
