Old Hickory's Passing
On June 8, 1845, one hundred and sixty-five years ago today, Andrew Jackson passed away at the age of seventy-eight. Jackson looked much older, having suffered from a number of health problems throughout his life. These included chronic headaches, abdominal pains, and a hacking cough, caused by a musket ball in his lung that was never removed, that often brought up blood and sometimes made his whole body shake.
After retiring to Nashville, Jackson tried to remain an influencial political figure and king-maker. In the election of 1844, he originally promoted his Vice-President and successor Martin Van Buren for another term in the White House, but had a falling out with Van Buren after the two disagreed on the admission of Texas as a state. (Jackson was for it, Van Buren was against it.) This led to Jackson supporting his young Tennessee protege James K. Polk as the Democratic nominee for the presidency in 1844. Polk not only inherited Jackson's job, but his nickname as well (except that Jackson was "old hickory" and Polk was called "young hickory.")
Jackson enjoyed eight years of retirement and died at his home in Nashville known as "The Hermitage" of chronic tuberculosis, dropsy, and heart failure.
What I was most impressed with was the legacy that Jackson left behind. This list is so long that I've put it behind a cut. Following is a list of some of the many memorials, tributes and places named after Andrew Jackson.
*Jackson Square in New Orleans.
*Jackson Statue near the White House in Washington, D.C.
*Jackson statue in downtown Jacksonville, Florida
*Jackson's portrait appears on the United States twenty-dollar bill and in the past it has appeared on $5, $10, $50, and $10,000 bills, as well as a Confederate $1,000 bill.
*Jackson's image is on the Black Jack and many other postage stamps. These include the Prominent Americans series (1965-1978) 10¢ stamp.
*Memorials to Jackson include a set of four identical equestrian statues located in different parts of the country. One is in Jackson Square in New Orleans. Another is in Nashville on the grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol. A third is in Washington, D.C. near the White House. The fourth is in Downtown Jacksonville, Florida. Equestrian statues of Jackson have also been erected elsewhere, including one with Jackson on horseback together with seated figures of James K. Polk and Andrew Johnson on the State Capitol grounds in Raleigh, North Carolina.
*Andrew Jackson State Park is located on the site of his birthplace in Lancaster County, South Carolina. The park features a museum about his childhood, and a bronze statue of Jackson on horseback by sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington.
*In Nashville, Old Hickory Boulevard, named for Jackson, is a historic road that encircles the city. It is the longest road in the city.
*A main thoroughfare in Hermitage, Tennessee is named Andrew Jackson Parkway. Several roads in the same area have names associated with Jackson, such as Andrew Jackson Way, Andrew Jackson Place, Rachel Donelson Pass, Rachel's Square Drive, Rachel's Way, Rachel's Court, Rachel's Trail, and Andrew Donelson Drive.
*One of the most popular lakes in middle Tennessee is Old Hickory Lake.
*Andrew Jackson High School, in Lancaster County, SC, is named after him and uses the title of "Hickory Log" for its Annual photo book.
*The section of U.S. Route 74 between Charlotte, North Carolina and Wilmington, North Carolina is named the Andrew Jackson Highway.
The U.S. Army installation Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina, is named in his honor.
*Fort Jackson, built before the Civil War on the Mississippi River for the defense of New Orleans, was named in his honor.
*The USS Andrew Jackson (SSBN-619), a Lafayette-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, which served from 1963 to 1989.
*Jackson Park, the third-largest park in Chicago, is named for him.
Jackson Park, a public golf course in Seattle, Washington is named for him.
*Andrew Jackson Centre, the Andrew Jackson Cottage and US Rangers Centre is a "traditional thatched Ulster–Scots farmhouse built in 1750s" and "includes the home of Jackson's parents. It has been restored to its original state."
Following is a list of places named after Andrew Jackson:
Andrew Jackson State Park, Lancaster County, South Carolina
Fort Jackson, South Carolina, the U.S. Army's largest training base
Hermitage, Pennsylvania (formerly Hickory Township), after his homestead
Hermitage, Tennessee, after his homestead
Hickory County, Missouri, after his nickname, "Old Hickory"
Jackson, Alabama
Jackson, Georgia
Jackson, Louisiana
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Missouri
Jackson, New Hampshire
Jackson, New Jersey
Jackson, Ohio
Jackson, South Carolina
Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson County, Alabama
Jackson County, Arkansas
Jackson County, Colorado
Jackson County, Florida
Jackson County, Illinois
Jackson County, Indiana
Jackson County, Iowa
Jackson County, Kansas
Jackson County, Kentucky
Jackson Parish, Louisiana
Jackson County, Michigan
Jackson County, Mississippi
Jackson County, Missouri
Jackson County, North Carolina
Jackson County, Ohio
Jackson County, Oklahoma
Jackson County, Oregon
Jackson County, Tennessee
Jackson County, Texas
Jackson County, West Virginia
Jackson County, Wisconsin
Jackson Township, Indiana
Jackson Square in New Orleans, Louisiana
Jacksontown, Ohio in Licking County, Ohio
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Illinois
Jacksonville, North Carolina
Old Hickory, Tennessee, after his nickname
Old Hickory Lake and Dam, Tennessee
After retiring to Nashville, Jackson tried to remain an influencial political figure and king-maker. In the election of 1844, he originally promoted his Vice-President and successor Martin Van Buren for another term in the White House, but had a falling out with Van Buren after the two disagreed on the admission of Texas as a state. (Jackson was for it, Van Buren was against it.) This led to Jackson supporting his young Tennessee protege James K. Polk as the Democratic nominee for the presidency in 1844. Polk not only inherited Jackson's job, but his nickname as well (except that Jackson was "old hickory" and Polk was called "young hickory.")
Jackson enjoyed eight years of retirement and died at his home in Nashville known as "The Hermitage" of chronic tuberculosis, dropsy, and heart failure.
What I was most impressed with was the legacy that Jackson left behind. This list is so long that I've put it behind a cut. Following is a list of some of the many memorials, tributes and places named after Andrew Jackson.
*Jackson Square in New Orleans.
*Jackson Statue near the White House in Washington, D.C.
*Jackson statue in downtown Jacksonville, Florida
*Jackson's portrait appears on the United States twenty-dollar bill and in the past it has appeared on $5, $10, $50, and $10,000 bills, as well as a Confederate $1,000 bill.
*Jackson's image is on the Black Jack and many other postage stamps. These include the Prominent Americans series (1965-1978) 10¢ stamp.
*Memorials to Jackson include a set of four identical equestrian statues located in different parts of the country. One is in Jackson Square in New Orleans. Another is in Nashville on the grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol. A third is in Washington, D.C. near the White House. The fourth is in Downtown Jacksonville, Florida. Equestrian statues of Jackson have also been erected elsewhere, including one with Jackson on horseback together with seated figures of James K. Polk and Andrew Johnson on the State Capitol grounds in Raleigh, North Carolina.
*Andrew Jackson State Park is located on the site of his birthplace in Lancaster County, South Carolina. The park features a museum about his childhood, and a bronze statue of Jackson on horseback by sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington.
*In Nashville, Old Hickory Boulevard, named for Jackson, is a historic road that encircles the city. It is the longest road in the city.
*A main thoroughfare in Hermitage, Tennessee is named Andrew Jackson Parkway. Several roads in the same area have names associated with Jackson, such as Andrew Jackson Way, Andrew Jackson Place, Rachel Donelson Pass, Rachel's Square Drive, Rachel's Way, Rachel's Court, Rachel's Trail, and Andrew Donelson Drive.
*One of the most popular lakes in middle Tennessee is Old Hickory Lake.
*Andrew Jackson High School, in Lancaster County, SC, is named after him and uses the title of "Hickory Log" for its Annual photo book.
*The section of U.S. Route 74 between Charlotte, North Carolina and Wilmington, North Carolina is named the Andrew Jackson Highway.
The U.S. Army installation Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina, is named in his honor.
*Fort Jackson, built before the Civil War on the Mississippi River for the defense of New Orleans, was named in his honor.
*The USS Andrew Jackson (SSBN-619), a Lafayette-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, which served from 1963 to 1989.
*Jackson Park, the third-largest park in Chicago, is named for him.
Jackson Park, a public golf course in Seattle, Washington is named for him.
*Andrew Jackson Centre, the Andrew Jackson Cottage and US Rangers Centre is a "traditional thatched Ulster–Scots farmhouse built in 1750s" and "includes the home of Jackson's parents. It has been restored to its original state."
Following is a list of places named after Andrew Jackson:
Andrew Jackson State Park, Lancaster County, South Carolina
Fort Jackson, South Carolina, the U.S. Army's largest training base
Hermitage, Pennsylvania (formerly Hickory Township), after his homestead
Hermitage, Tennessee, after his homestead
Hickory County, Missouri, after his nickname, "Old Hickory"
Jackson, Alabama
Jackson, Georgia
Jackson, Louisiana
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Missouri
Jackson, New Hampshire
Jackson, New Jersey
Jackson, Ohio
Jackson, South Carolina
Jackson, Tennessee
Jackson County, Alabama
Jackson County, Arkansas
Jackson County, Colorado
Jackson County, Florida
Jackson County, Illinois
Jackson County, Indiana
Jackson County, Iowa
Jackson County, Kansas
Jackson County, Kentucky
Jackson Parish, Louisiana
Jackson County, Michigan
Jackson County, Mississippi
Jackson County, Missouri
Jackson County, North Carolina
Jackson County, Ohio
Jackson County, Oklahoma
Jackson County, Oregon
Jackson County, Tennessee
Jackson County, Texas
Jackson County, West Virginia
Jackson County, Wisconsin
Jackson Township, Indiana
Jackson Square in New Orleans, Louisiana
Jacksontown, Ohio in Licking County, Ohio
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Illinois
Jacksonville, North Carolina
Old Hickory, Tennessee, after his nickname
Old Hickory Lake and Dam, Tennessee