Tennessean Andrew Jackson came from a different mold than the first six presidents: he was the first not from Virginia or Massachusetts and the first from a state west of the Appalachians. He began as a lawyer, but made his reputation as a fighter. He was the hero of the Battle of New Orleans against the British in 1815, invaded Spanish Florida without orders, and helped drive Native Americans out of the southeastern states. He also fought for ordinary people against rich merchants and bankers. As president, he opened the White House to common people and campaigned personally for support and votes. He owned slaves and considered himself a Southerner, but he believed in the Union and sent troops to enforce federal laws in South Carolina. Book jacket.