Ten Facts About President Andrew Jackson- Part 1: Self-Taught Lawyer and Military Leader

From the March 14, 2014, National Constitution Center "10 birthday facts about President Andrew Jackson."  His birthday is March 15, born either in North Carolina or South Carolina on March 15, 1767.

1.  He was a Revolutionary War POW.  His mother and two brothers did not survive the war.

2.  Jackson, like Lincoln, was a self-taught frontier lawyer.

3.  Served in Congress at a young age, Tennessee's first Congressman in 1796.  Became a Senator nine months later but quit seven months after that and returned to Tennessee.

4.  Made money in the cotton business and owned slaves.  He bought Hermitage plantation in 1804 and owned nine slaves.  When he became president, he owned more than 100.

5.  Self-taught military leader.  Became Tennessee's militia leader in 1802.  His victory in the 1814 Battle of Horseshoe Bend led to a commission in the U.S. Army where he defeated the British at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.

--Cooter

War of 1812: The Bicentennial in New Orleans

From the New Orleans Times-Picayune "Mayor military officers detail next month's War of 1812 bicentennial events in New Orleans" by Paula Purpura.

The Tall Ships and modern warships from various nations will dock in the city. The Navy's Blue Angels will put on a show over Lake Pontchartrain.

The Navy, marine Corps and Coast Guard will be hosting similar events during the next three years, including a grand finale on the 200th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.

This April 17-23's events will include Navy Week and Fleet Week. One of the ships will be the USS Wasp, an 844-foot amphibious assault ship and the Coast Guard's tall ship, the Eagle. Ships from England, Canada, France, Ecuador and Indonesia will be as the celebration.

Big Times in the Big Easy. --DaCoot