Andrew Jackson was the first common-man President. Orphaned at 14, he became a lawyer with no formal education, an Army General with no military experience, and President without being rich. Jackson survived the nation's first Presidential assassination attempt, defeated the British in the battle of New Orleans, and passed the controversial Indian Removal Act, which resulted in the death of nearly 10,000 Native Americans. His portrait on the $20 bill conveys an image of passion, strength, and confidence, but most historians will admit that he was often a cruel man.
