Andrew Jackson was nicknamed "Old Hickory" after the tough hardwood tree. He had a fiery temper and an iron will, but like the hickory tree, which produces flavorful nuts that can be used as a sweetener, Jackson had a soft side. He was devoted to his wife, Rachel Jackson (1767-1828; see entry in volume 1), his friends, his troops, and his extended family.

Jackson's long and colorful life included living a wild boyhood on the frontier, becoming a self-made man (one who succeeds through hard work and without the financial help of others), and serving as one of the original political leaders of the state of Tennessee. In his forties he won fame as a controversial military commander. While in his sixties he led a national political dynasty. (A political dynasty is a succession of government leaders from the same political party.) The dynasty lasted twenty years...