Tennessee History Part 1



The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's Home




Jackson's original house (top half.  The original was two-storied)


Tennessee is rich in history and we have been privileged to wander in and near some of it.  Andrew Jackson is prominent here and has left a lasting legacy.  He experienced the revolutionary war at a young age.  His father was killed in the war and I am sure this set his direction for the rest of his life.

"On his journey from a Revolutionary battlefield at age 13 to two terms in the White House as America's seventh president, his unconventional, often controversial-and always fiercely held-principles and vision shook things up politically, culturally, and on the field of battle." from the tour brochure.

Back side of the Hemitage

The Hermitage was a cotton plantation of about 1000 acres.  It employed up to 80 slaves and was very prosperous.  For a lot of years, Jackson and his beloved wife Rachel Donelson, lived in a two story house that was very well decorated.  When they build and moved into the Hermitage, they converted their old house into slave quarters.  They stripped everything to the log walls, removed the 1st story, and converted it to "proper" slave housing. 




Slave quarters




Family grave site.  Some more important slaves also burried here.




Garden flowers



Monument built for Jackson's beloved Rachel.
Jackson buried here later.



Garden flowers

  The home has an extensive garden with all that would be expected to sustain a household that did much intertaining including friends and many visiting important people.  While president, Jackson only returned to the Hermitage three times as it took ten days to travel from Washington.



Near Jackson's grave

 The Hermitage today is fully restored with many original features.  Guided tours are provided with headsets for adults and a special tour for children.  If you are near here it is well worth the time to visit.
From the brochure---"In the perception-altering experience that is The Hermitage, you'll find not only the man, but also the seeds--and spirit--of the nation he helped shape."

                            Ya'all come