Contents and Arrangement Collection View
Scope and Contents

The collection consists of selected correspondence and documents of Andrew Jackson, the bulk of which dates from the time of his presidency (1829-1837). The correspondence includes a letter to Dr. James Jackson in Alabama, dated 1821, describing his state of health; a letter to James Carnahan, ninth president of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), presenting a gift of a collection of insects from South America; a letter dated 1831 to Hugh L. White, urging him not to resign from the War Department; a letter to Samuel Swartwout, Collector at the Port of New York dated 1833, regarding his purchase of a new carriage and two horses in exchange for his old "Borrouch" [barouche]; a letter to Robert I. Chester dated 1840; and a letter to Elijah Purdy dated 1841, thanking him for his good wishes and criticizing the administration of president William Henry Harrison.

The documents include a deed of land of John W. Ray, dated 1831, signed by Jackson; a passport for the ship NEVA of New York, signed by Jackson and by Secretary of State Edward Livingston, Princeton Class of 1781; a signed ship's document permitting Joseph Z. Chase and his ship, the MAY FLOWER, to depart on a whaling voyage in the Pacific ocean, dated 1834; and a signed document appointing Lewis Boudinot Hunter, Princeton Class of 1824, as a surgeon in the United States Army, dated 1834. Also included is a bookmark printed on silk, commemorating Jackson's victory at the battle of New Orleans, published by W. L. Germon; and a photograph of Jackson's home the "Hermitage" in Nashville, Tenn.

Collection Creator Biography:

Jackson, Andrew, 1767-1845

Andrew Jackson, seventh president of the United States, was born in the backwoods settlement of the Waxhaw in South Carolina. He received a sporadic education, lost all his family by the time he was fourteen, and moved to Charleston, S.C., where he learned to race horses and also learned the manners of "gentlemen." He studied law and became an outstanding young lawyer in Tennessee. Jackson prospered sufficiently to buy slaves and to build a mansion, the Hermitage, near Nashville. A major general in the War of 1812, Jackson became a national hero when he defeated the British at New Orleans. By 1828 enough political factions had joined him to win numerous state elections and control of the Federal administration in Washington. He was elected to the presidency in 1829 and served till 1837. More than most of his predecessors, Andrew Jackson was elected by popular vote. As president he sought to act as the direct representative of the common man. He died at the Hermitage on June 8, 1845.

Acquisition:

Letter to Hugh L. White was a gift of Fred. Worth, Esq. on September 1900 .

Passport for the ship Neva was a gift of G. B. McClellan, Princeton Class of 1886 on Feb. 6, 1912 .

Letter to James Carnahan was a gift of Prof. H. C. Cameron on Nov. 27, 1918 .

Document to Lewis Boudinot Hunter was a gift of Miss Sarah Hunter on April 9, 1925 .

Letter to Chester and document for whaling voyage was a gift of Robbins Milbank, Princeton Class of 1925, and Samuel Milbank, Princeton Class of 1927 on Dec. 19, 1949 .

Letter to Dr. Jackson was a gift of The Nassau Club on January 20, 1955 .

Deed of John Ray was a gift of Bernard K. Schaefer on January 1955 .

Letter to S. Stwartwout was a gift of Edward H. White on June 30, 1965 .

Custodial History

The collection was formed as a result of a Departmental practice of combining into one collection material of various accessions relating to a particular person, family, or subject.

Appraisal

No appraisal information is available.

Processing Information

Folder inventory added by Nicholas Williams '2015 in 2012.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Credit this material:

Andrew Jackson Collection; Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/9s1616173
Location:
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
(609) 258-3184
Storage Note:
  • ReCAP (scarcpxm): Box 1