Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the United States and a controversial historical figure. He owned slaves, as did many American men in his time, and he helped banish the Native Americans from their homelands. In some ways, these actions make Andrew Jackson truly one of the forefathers of the United States, a country that cannot escape some of the horrors of its history. However, Andrew Jackson also managed to make his mark as a true hero. He overcame great hardship in his life, fought bravely, and contributed to American politics with passion. James C. Curtis describes the ups and downs of Andrew Jackson's life in his book: Andrew Jackson and the Search for Vindication. The title of the biography reflects the fact that Andrew Jackson felt persecuted throughout much of his life and often felt he had to fight back hard to earn respect and trust. The most famous of Jackson's fights was the duel he fought with Aaron Burr, but Andrew Jackson fought many battles throughout his life, some of which were physical and many of which were purely political. More than anything, Curtis shows that Andrew Jackson was a product of his environment and of his times, and in spite of his shortcomings helped the United States become a stronger union. Andrew Jackson and the Search for Vindication is a brief book, less than two hundred pages long. It is divided into nine main chapters that deal with a specific aspect of Jackson's life. The chapters loosely follow the timeline of the former president's life. Jackson's parents were both from Northern Ireland and migrated to what would soon become the United States of America. When the Jackson family moved to the New World, they encountered various "harsh realities," from ethnic and religious tensions to outright violence (Curtis 3). Andrew Jackson's father, who had the same name, died before Andrew junior was born. Having...

In his early childhood, Andrew was known for his "wildness," and misbehaved regularly (Curtis 7). He was 'not a particularly happy youngster," and "had an ugly temper, was full of anger that he could not control, and ... thrived on conflict," (Curtis 8). These early outbursts would continue throughout the rest of Jackson's life, and as the man gained political power and social status, the implications of his aggressiveness became severe and far-reaching.
Jackson also lived through several wars, which undoubtedly altered his perception of humanity and of life in general. Jackson's first war experience was as a militiaman during the American War for Independence. He was captured by the British, imprisoned, and nearly died. Soon thereafter, his brother and his mother died, which "left deep scars on Andrew Jackson's personality," (Curtis 10). Jackson felt partly responsible for his mother's death, which may be an early reason Andrew Jackson looked for some sort of vindication throughout his entire life. After his mother's death, Andrew suffered through an "aimless existence" that would change after Jackson sought training and employment as a lawyer a few years later (Curtis 10).

Curtis shows how Andrew Jackson was a quintessential early American. He settled on one of the new Western Appalachian frontiers and therefore held dear the concept of "manifest destiny." Jackson also proudly owned, bought, and sold slaves and had no moral qualms about the institution of slavery. Furthermore, Jackson resented and feared the Native Americans and did much to force them to flee their own lands. Curtis also portrays Jackson as a sharp individualist who acted first out of his own self-interest, more…