Andrew Jackson Childhood Analysis

Jackson’s mother was able to get her two sons released from prison. However, when she proceeded to take her children home, they were clinging on to life by a thread. Robert, Andrew’s only remaining brother, could not stand nor sit straight on horseback without support from his mother. Andrew was in better condition than his brother and had to walk forty-five miles without a jacket or shoes to reach home. A few days after reaching the Jackson’s home Robert passed away. He was the third Jackson family member to die in America and the second Jackson casualty of the Revolutionary War.
Elizabeth nursed her now only son back to health; but before Jackson was fully recovered she left for Charleston, after receiving a message the British captured a few of her relatives. While near Charleston, Elizabeth died after a brief illness. Jackson was now alone; his entire family had passed away before he reached adulthood. He later recalled, “when the tidings of her death reached me I at first could not believe it, when I finally realized the truth I was utterly alone, and tried to recall her last words to me.” Andrew Jackson fought in the Revolutionary War, fought for humane treatment while imprisoned, and fought for his life when he contracted smallpox. His fight was not over; he battled loneliness with the death of his brothers and mother during the Revolutionary War. These tragic events should have been enough sorrow and misfortune for an entire lifetime, yet Jackson experienced all of these events by the time he was only fifteen. Jackson was a survivor; these events molded Jackson into the resilient fighter he was for the rest of his life. Many historians gloss over Jackson’s upbringing and its influence on who Andrew Jackson was. …show more content…
Critical issues arise during Jackson’s childhood, and must be taken into consideration when determining who he was. Topics such as family background, his education level, behavior as a child, and life experiences were crucial in the development of Jackson’s personality and character. It is evident he had a strong distrust of authority, the absence of a father figure and disobeying a British officer are two examples. These experiences and character building moments translated into his ideology in politics. Such as Jackson’s distrust in the national bank. It is also evident Jackson’s childhood fostered his fighting attitude. Whether it be fighting fellow school children, the British in war, or fighting for his life when he contracted smallpox, Jackson demonstrated his fighting nature during his childhood. Other historians do not begin the story of Andrew Jackson upon his birth. Some start at the point Andrew Jackson gained national fame, The Battle of New Orleans. Others skip Jackson’s military career and focus on his presidency. Schlesinger is the most notable historian who under emphasized Jackson’s upbringing. If …show more content…
After all, he decided to become a lawyer instead of a farmer. However, if he were not a frontiersman, he would not have acted similarly to accepted Western culture in his dealings with his future wife, Rachel Donelson Jackson. During Jackson’s time legal divorce was not common. The process was long and expensive; therefore, often only the wealthy would legally get divorced. Many dissatisfied westerner wives would run away from their husbands instead of getting a formal divorce. While not legally binding, these actions were socially accepted as a