Captain John Gordon was an extremely interesting individual and ancestor of mine. I found out about him when I told my grandmother about how we were talking about Andrew Jackson in class. John Gordon was a very close friend to Andrew Jackson, helping him with many conflicts during the Creek War of 1813. He was born on July 15th, 1759 near Fredericksburg, Virginia. Captain Gordon was well known as an Indian fighter, as well as being a Postmaster, ferryman, and even a spy. Although John Gordon is not one of those people you read about in history books, his actions are very remarkable and worth recognition.
John Gordon’s reputation as a ruthless fighter is one of his most notable accomplishments, but there were other titles he held that are worth mentioning. Captain Gordon lived in Tennessee for a large part of his life. When he lived in Nashville, he became Nashville’s first Postmaster. Also, Captain Gordon was a merchant that traded along the Natchez Trace. He was one of the first to take advantage of the Natchez Trace and use it as a trading route. He also got rights to operate a ferry along the Duck River, which crosses the Natchez Trace. Once he got ferry access on that river, he was able to become even more successful in his trading business.
Captain Gordon’s lineage is definitely worth noting. It is through him and his wife Dolly that I am related to Pocahontas. My grandmother, through genealogical work, has found out that both John and Dolly were related to Pocahontas. For some time, Captain Gordon’s lineage was somewhat of a mystery, but my grandma and others in my family worked hard to fill in the blanks, and eventually came to this awesome discovery. Now the strange thing about this information is that even with this linea...
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...ola. With the information he gained from the governor, Gordon reported back to Jackson that Pensacola was being used by the British. Because of this information, Jackson took Pensacola, which then would result in the Battle of New Orleans.
After researching this ancestor of mine, I now know the importance of genealogy work. I would have never known the role of Captain John Gordon in the Creek War, and his friendship with Andrew Jackson. His accomplishments are admirable, and if some of the things he did never happened, American history as we know it might have changed drastically. Andrew Jackson was an extremely influential President. Who can say what would have happened if Jackson wasn’t saved by Captain Gordon and his spies? Captain John Gordon is an important person for both my family and American history. Without him, American history would be severely impacted.
As the Spanish advanced again to take Fort Frederica, Oglethorpe was waiting. Slowly moving through the swampy lands on St. Simons the Spanish headed toward Fort Frederica with high confidence. Posting a regiment of Foot Soldiers and Darien’s Independent Company of Highlanders in a wooded area overlooking the marsh where Spanish soldiers would have to cross, Oglethorpe returned to Ft. Frederica (Swinson 137). Oglethorpe then left to retrieve more soldiers. When he returned, the battle was over. The troops had stood off the Spanish until they ran out of ammunition and retreated. Even though he arrived after the fighting, Oglethorpe became the victor (Coleman
Have you ever wondered whose hands our country was in at the start of our time? Captain John Smith was one of the first American heroes. He was the first man to promote a permanent settlement of America. William Bradford was a Puritan who was courageous and determined to set up a colony where citizens could worship freely. Although both of these men were two of America’s heroes, they had more differences than known.
The battle of New Orleans was a significant battle in the war of 1812. It was a crushing defeat for the British, increased patriotism, and Andrew Jackson emerged an American hero.
Born in January of 1737, John Hancock grew up to become a prominent founding father and important Patriot in American history. Filling many roles throughout his life, John Hancock shaped the course of the Revolution by standing out against the British rule. Originally a merchant and statesmen, Hancock became the president of the Second Continental Congress and helped convince all thirteen colonies to unite for their independence (History). Hancock stood for freedom in a time in which many leaders still hesitated to declare independence, and his influence convinced many colonists to unite against tyranny and still inspires many people today. To play such a significant role in the history of America, however, Hancock grew from experiences long
The Louisiana Purchase came as a surprise that neither Thomas Jefferson nor anyone else had ever dreamed of. It began with Thomas Jefferson sending two men, James Monroe and Robert R. Livingston, to Paris to negotiate the acquisition of New Orleans with the government of the feared Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon had roused fears once France acquired Louisiana from the Spanish. Concerned with French intentions, Thomas Jefferson took immediate action and sent his two men to negotiate. The negotiation didn’t go as intended at all. We asked to buy New Orleans, but Napoleon offered the entire Louisiana Territory. Apparently, Napoleon had little use for Louisiana. He also couldn’t spare any troops to defend the enormous amount of territory. Napoleon needed funds more than anything, so he could support his military ventures in Europe. This led to the exhilarating time of April, 1803 when Napoleon offered to sell Louisiana to the United States.
Jackson was always ready to fight for his country. When he was young he went to train at West Point to become a soldier and leader. He wasn’t as bright as some of the other students, but he worked hard pushing to succeed. In the end he ended up 17th in his class, giving him the chance to become 2nd Lieutenant of Artillery in the Mexican War. He lived through the war with no problems. He was admired by the army for his courage, he never backed down. After the Mexican War he went to VMI (Virginia Military Institute) to teach. He had two classes, Natural & Experimental Philosophy and Artillery tactics. He was no professor but a great artillery instructor.
In the first battle, Battle of Horseshoe Bend, he defeated Chief Menewa in the Creek War. Jackson was able to defeat Chief Menewa by using a small army of current soldiers, and volunteers (“millercenter.com”). The next battle Jackson was involved in was the Battle of New Orleans. In this battle, Andrew Jackson attacked a small British outpost with a small army of slaves, volunteers, and even pirates!(“americaslibery.gov”). After the victory at the outpost, Jackson moved on to a larger fort in Pensacola (“americaslibery.gov”).
After practicing law in Savannah for a short time, Milledge supported the patriotic cause, joined the Georgia militia like his father, and served in the Revolutionary War. In May of 1775, along with Edward Telfair, who served as governor of Georgia in the late 16th century, and numerous other patriots, John Milledge stormed the British gover...
Andrew Jackson is one of the most controversial presidents. Many regard him as a war hero, the father of the Democratic Party, an inspiring leader, and a spokesman for the common man. While there is plenty to praise about the seventh president, his legacy is tarnished by his racism, disregard for the law of the land, cruelty towards the Native Americans, and ruthless temper. Jackson was an intriguing man who was multi-faceted. One must not look at a singular dimension, and cast judgment on him as a whole. To accurately evaluate one of the most complex presidents, it is crucial to observe Jackson from all possible angles. Prior lifestyle, hardships in life, political ideology, lifestyle of the time, political developments, and his character
Many historians love Andrew Jackson, putting him on a high pedestal. He did grow up in poverty, making an immense switch and becoming a well known and powerful lawyer and young politician. Now I can’t argue that he played a major role during his time; he was a leading figure on many issues such as when war decided to come between Britain and the United States. However, many historians don’t step back and truly look at what he did or what his motives were. He was a highly popular president, but a “very dangerous man”, according to Thomas Jefferson; because of this he should not be known as one of the top influential people in America.
Alot of people think of Daniel Boone as the brave pioneer wearing a coonskin hat, but he never wore a coonskin hat. You may have heard about him fighting in the Alamo, but Daniel Boone died before the battle at the Alamo took place. Although there are a lot of stories that aren't true, he did accomplish a lot in his life (Daniel Boone: Legend). Boone never stayed in one place for too long, but he stayed in one place long enough to marry Rebecca Bryan in 1756. “All you need for happiness is a good gun, a good horse, and a good wife” Boone once said (Daniel Boone Biography). In 1768 Daniel took his first trip to Kentucky to collect hides to pay off his debts. When he got enough, he left Kentucky for three years. In 1773, he persuaded five families to come with him and settle in Kentucky. While they searched for a place to settle, Indians attacked and killed most of the settlers, including one of Daniel’s sons. Violence in Kentucky raged against the settlers and Native Americans. One day Indians raided Daniel’s Settlement, and captured three girls, including...
From serving in the Revolutionary War and getting captured with his brother and becoming orphaned at such a young age, to becoming our nation’s seventh president and being loved by so many, his legacy will live on. “The Age of Jackson” helped shape the national agenda that we lacked and also fix our American policies that we did not enforce. From believing that the president’s authority was derived by the people and made it for the people and by the people, started the idea of the spoils system, and started the power to veto, he made a tremendous impact on our society today that you would have to see it to believe it. Jackson is a very historical
Tregle, Joseph G., Jr. “Jackson, Andrew (1767–1845).” Encyclopedia Americana. Grolier Online, 2014. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
Born poor, poorly educated, self-risen, first westerner, the first to be elected in a grand popular poll and all in all the first living proof that in America, any one with enough initiative and will can grow up to be president. The image of Andrew Jackson is very much of a rollercoaster, to admirers he stands as a shining symbol of American accomplishment, the ultimate individualist and democrat and to detractors he appears an incipient tyrant, the closest we have yet come to an American Caesar. Overall attributed a lot of influences toward the United States through the Nullification Crisis, Bank of the United States, and the Cherokee Indian.
He is regarded as the father of our Navy. He was considered a man that had an insurmountable fighting spirit. He took on challenges that and odds that often seemed impossible, but no matter what, always seemed to somehow come out the victor. His life was essentially defined by his most famous quote. When all hope seemed lost and there was little chance of victory, this man stood up and calmly uttered, “I have not yet begun to fight.” John Paul Jones was a man, then a hero, and finally a legend. While it is easy to focus on the history of John Paul Jones that occurred while he served in the Continental Navy, it only tells a portion of the story. In order to fully appreciate Jones, his full history must be analyzed both before and after he served aboard the ‘Bonhomme Richard”.