Andrew Jackson is often only synonymous with being a former president of the United States. He is rarely synonymous with the home he built over many years with his wife, Rachel Jackson. However, The Hermitage is a rich and developed piece of U.S. history that deserves to be shared and preserved. As a site that was built from the ground up, and remodeled several times over, it something to behold. Andrew Jackson became president in The Hermitage, as well as one of Tennessee’s most successful slave owners. He left a home that would become a family legacy, and is now buried next to his wife in the garden. If there ever was a former president’s home worth seeing, or preserving, it is The Hermitage.
When preparing to visit a site as historically rich as The Hermitage, it is important to prepare. Though one may take a guided tour, or remember a few facts from history class, it can help to do some independent research in order to reap as much as possible from the experience. “Andrew Jackson and the Rise of the Democrats: A Reference Guide,” as several chapters and passages that would provide decent companionship prior to and during a visit to the Hermitage. Researching what took place at the Hermitage in terms of how Jackson used the home, who lived there, and what its historical significance is would be prudent.
The Hermitage itself is majestic in aesthetics. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, it was built in a meadow free from the prying eyes of neighbors. Rachel Jackson, Andrew Jackson’s wife, is rumored to have preferred it this way, as she is the individual who chose the meadow for the home’s location . The Hermitage was first formed out of three log cabins, once occupied by Andrew and Rachel Jackson, and their slaves. Later, in 1822 a more aristocratic mansion took the place of the simplistic log structure. Built out of bricks, and two stories high, it was lavishly furnished with four rooms on the first floor, and another four on the second floor. Each level was complete with a fireplace and, for the time, it was the height of luxury. Nearly a decade later, Jackson had ten large columns added to the entrance, giving it the typical southern appeal we see on many plantations that still exist today. The columns still exist, though the entire home was remodeled in 1835 due to a fire.
Despite its obvious beauty, The Hermitage is important for historic reasons, as well. Jackson purchased the land from Mr. Robert Hays in 1804; it was 420 acres. The log cabin Jackson and his wife called home already existed on the property, and built two more residences for his slaves. With nine slaves at his disposal, Jackson began work on his cotton farm, disregarding all care for human life. He continued buying slaves, making the Hermitage a landmark for American history based on its lack of respect and compassion for others. By 1821, he had over forty slaves, making him, “one of the most widely known and successful plantation owners in all of Tennessee, as well as the entire region.” Most plantation owners in the region had seven to ten slaves. Later, in 1828, he was living at The Hermitage as he was elected president of the United States. The site was remodeled while he spent his first term in office, and returned to it to retire for good in 1837. He died there in his home in 1845. He and his wife, Rachel, who also died there in 1828, are both buried in The Hermitage’s garden. The site, then, is a final resting place of a former United States president, which also holds significant historical value. It is a former slave plantation, as well as a continual family home for Jackson’s descendants. Even after he died, the legacy of the land had lived on, creating historical significance that will not soon be forgotten.
After his death, The Hermitage was still used by the American people and Jackson’s family. Andrew Jackson III was the last of his bloodline to occupy the home . There were other plans for the home to be used as a training facility for the United States Military Academy, but civil unrest in the U.S. did not allow this plan to continue. Regardless, a rich history surrounds The Hermitage. Though slavery is an intolerable idea by today’s standards, the fact remains Andrew Jackson owned over 150 slaves at one time at The Hermitage and managed to build a lavish mansion from the remnants of three log cabins. The Hermitage was remodeled several different times, both due to Jackson’s wishes and due to disaster. He was elected president from the halls of The Hermitage, and retired from politics there, as well. Both he and his wife died, and were buried there. Their entire adult lives, and Jackson’s entire career took place within the walls of The Hermitage, when it did not take place within the White House. It may seem unimportant to some to preserve historic sites like these. He was, after all, alive in the early 1800’s, and one of his greatest achievements is owning the most slaves of any plantation owner in Tennessee. While this is not the proudest of achievements, it is still important to preserve these moments in history, if only to remember how far we have come, and how far we still have to go.
In sum, The Hermitage is a beautiful and classic piece of architecture that stands as a final piece of history to remind us of Andrew Jackson’s legacy. A former president of the United States, he is best remembered for being a democrat, and a successful plantation owner. He and his wife, Rachel, spent the majority of their lives within The Hermitage, remodeling it, and taking charge of their plantation. Today, they are buried there. It is important we preserve these historical landmarks so that we may remember individuals such as Andrew Jackson, so that we may remember how hard they worked to get where they were, and how far we must work to not allow injustices such as slavery to take place.
References
Cheathem, M. R. (2015). Andrew Jackson and the Rise of the Democrats: A Reference Guide. Chicago: ABC-CLIO.
