Andrew Jackson Jr.

Andrew Jackson Jr. was born on December 4, 1808, and died on April 17, 1865. He was the adopted son of Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States. Jackson Jr. was the biological child of Rachel Jackson’s brother, Severn Donelson, and Elizabeth Rucker. He was one of the eight or nine children born to Severn Donelson and Elizabeth Rucker, and he was taken to the Hermitage, the Jackson family estate, when he was three days old. Jackson Jr. had a twin brother named Thomas Jefferson Donelson.

Although frequently described as Jackson’s adopted son, there is no clear evidence that Andrew Jackson Jr. was officially legally adopted. Historical accounts indicate that Jackson regarded him as his own child, and he was known as Jackson’s heir among the many wards and relatives. An 1878 newspaper noted that Jackson had other nephews to whom he gave a name and fortune, but Jackson Jr. was the one to whom he gave his name and regarded as his own.

Andrew Jackson Jr. grew up at the Hermitage and was educated at Davidson Academy beginning in 1821. By 1825, records show that he lived a privileged life, with personal servants and expenses for clothing, indicating a degree of social prominence. He was involved in managing some of his family’s affairs and maintained a library that included titles such as *The Autobiography of Crockett* and *Tom Jones*.

His mother, Rachel Jackson, was unable to conceive biological children, likely due to her health issues, including bouts with smallpox and malaria, which may have contributed to infertility. Jackson Jr.’s early life included the tragedy of losing a younger brother named Theodore, who died by spring 1814, and the death of his brother Severn Donelson in 1818. After Severn Donelson’s death, Jackson’s guardian was William Donelson, not Andrew Jackson.

Jackson Jr. was involved in a marriage with Sarah Yorke Jackson. Jackson did not attend the wedding personally but sent a nephew, Ralph Earl, in his place. He also gave Sarah Yorke a pearl ring containing a lock of his hair and provided financial support, including expanding the Hermitage estate and furnishing the new residence.

In terms of finances, Andrew Jackson Jr. inherited real estate and enslaved individuals valued at approximately $150,000 upon Jackson’s death in 1845. However, within about ten years, he incurred significant debt, reducing his wealth to roughly $100,000 in liabilities. His financial difficulties were partly due to his own expenses and possibly mismanagement. He purchased a female slave named Rachel and her child in 1833 but failed to pay the full amount owed to the seller. Jackson Jr. also bought a slave named Gracy to serve his wife and household.

Jackson Jr.’s father, Andrew Jackson, frequently criticized his son’s management of farm labor and finances. Jackson Jr. was described as “irresponsible and ambitionless,” according to historian Robert V. Remini, and was considered a disappointment by his father. Despite his financial challenges, he remained engaged in domestic life and farm pursuits.

Andrew Jackson Jr. died from tetanus after accidentally shooting himself while hunting in 1865.