preview

Andrew Jackson Military Leader Essay

Decent Essays
Open Document

Andrew Jackson was a man of great willpower and considered himself to be just a common man. He showed great care for his men, although sometimes he may have been a little too tough on them. He had the traits of a great leader, however, Jackson tended to take advantage of the respect and power that he held. Andrew Jackson was a good military leader, in the fact that he was brave on the battlefield and could make knowledgeable decisions, however, had his style of command and the way he treated his men been different, then I think he could have been a great military leader. Andrew Jackson was very inspiring in the way he was determined to do whatever he needed to do to get the job done. He would often sacrifice food and sleep to ensure his duties were fulfilled (Hickey 5). He had a bigger heart than he led on, even going as far as to adopt a native boy, regardless of his strong negative attitude towards the Indians. At the end of 1812, Jackson was ordered to dismiss his troops, sick and all, without food, pay, or supplies. Jackson was livid about the order and proceeded to use his money to buy supplies for his men and continued to take care of them (Hickey 47). …show more content…

If his men were to ever falter in obedience, Jackson would be quick to teach them a lesson. Jackson liked to be respected and was quick to defend his character, saying his “reputation is dearer to [him] than life” (Hickey 41). He would challenge men to duels just for talking about him, which showed his sense of courage, but also that he had a terrible temper. Jackson did have admiring traits which did, in turn, turn him into an admiring leader. One who was sure to do whatever it took to ensure victory and that the job would get done. However, he also acquired traits there were not so admirable. Often this caused controversy and doubts in the type of leader that he

Get Access