Perhaps nobody transformed American politics in the first half of the 1800s more than Andrew Jackson. He spoke on behalf of common people, settlers, and farmers instead of earlier presidents who represented the East Coast establishment. Jackson broke open opportunities for non-elite Americans in political life.

Jackson was born on the frontier between North and South Carolina. The son of Irish immigrants, he had little formal schooling and taught himself law in his late teens and earned entry to the North Carolina bar in 1787. Jackson became a lawyer, then a militia officer, then a U.S. Representative, then a contested White House candidate. In each of his careers Jackson fought as tenaciously as if he were on the frontier in a shoot-out with a band of mountain brigands. When he won the presidency, Jackson brought the same tenacity to the White House.

Learn more about the incredible difficulties Jackson overcame in this podcast episode.

WANT FREE ACCESS TO AN ONLINE COURSE ABOUT WINSTON CHURCHILL? READ BELOW

This episode is brought to you by Hillsdale College. They would like to invite you to learn more about the incredible life of this fascinating man — one of the greatest leaders and statesmen of our time: Winston Churchill.

You can get exclusive access to this new free online course studying the life of Churchill by going to Hillsdale.edu/h5m and signing up today.

Almost a million people have taken Hillsdale’s renowned courses like Constitution 101,  American Heritage. As a history fan, you won’t want to miss this one.

Get exclusive access to Hillsdale College’s new course on Winston Churchill right now. Go to Hillsdale.edu/h5m and sign up today.