To Andrew Jackson

As the results rolled into a ballroom in New Hampshire, to a bunch of disappointed Ron Paul supporters, many of whom had come a long way (from Bratislava for example), Ron Paul spoke. After a long month of volunteering, a tired Frank whispered to me "This better be good" as the Ron Paul introduction came. In the speech that followed (snippets of it here), one thing Ron Paul said to us was something like "You know, the Federal Reserve is our third central bank. It's been gotten rid of before. Thomas Jefferson got rid of the first central bank; after a hard fight Andrew Jackson got rid of the second. Now I just want to be the president who gets to get rid of the third!" The room erupted. Here's to Andrew Jackson, a man, like any other, who had his good and bad sides. Here's to Andrew Jackson, the tough s.o.b. who got rid of the predecessor to the Fed! - Allan in Blue Island, IL

From the Chicago Tribune
(with no mention of the 2nd Central Bank) :



7 | Andrew Jackson

March 15, 1767 - June 8, 1845

State: Tennessee

Religion: Presbyterian

Marriage: Rachel Donelson Robards

Military service: At age 13, Jackson served in the Revolutionary War as a messenger with his older brother. He received saber wounds to his arm and face from a British officer while a prisoner of war at Yorktown in 1781 and is the only president to have been a prisoner of war. During the War of 1812, he was appointed a major general from Tennessee, invaded Florida, captured Pensacola and marched to New Orleans. On Jan. 8, 1815, Jackson led his forces in a stunning victory there, becoming a national hero.

Party: Democrat

Terms: March 4, 1829 - March 3, 1837

Vice president: John C. Calhoun, 1829-1832 (first vice president to resign); vacant 1832; Martin Van Buren, 1833-1837

Highlights of presidency: Jackson was the first president to consult with advisers known as a "Kitchen Cabinet." He had strong disagreements with his first vice president, Calhoun, over federal tariff laws that were voted null and void by South Carolina in 1832. Jackson obtained from Congress the power to use armed force to collect federal import duties. An unsuccessful assassination attempt occurred on Jan. 30, 1835, as he was leaving the Capitol. A mentally disturbed house painter fired two shots within 13 feet of Jackson, but the pistol misfired both times.

Did you know? Jackson was the first president to be nominated by his party at a national convention, the first to ride in a train and the first president to survive an assassination attempt. He was the only president who ever paid off the national debt. His nickname was "Old Hickory," in honor of his toughness. The hot-tempered Jackson killed Charles Dickinson in a duel after Dickinson made insulting remarks about his marriage. Jackson served as U.S. senator from Tennessee, 1797-1798 and 1823-1825; U.S. House member, 1796-1797; and as Justice of the Tennessee Superior Court, 1798-1804. (February 13, 2008)