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| President Andrew Jackson |
| Actor: |
| Soldier, Officer, Politician,
Lawyer |
He's perfect as a historical
adventurer. He fought in the American Revolutionary War at age 14, and
suffered a serious saber scar after refusing to shine a British officer's
shoes. His parents died during the War, leaving Andrew as the only heir to
his Irish grandfather's large inheritance, which Jackson gambled away in a few
days.
After personally gathering a small force of volunteers during the
War of 1812, Jackson ignored orders to disband his troops and instead led an
attack against the Creek Indians, who were summarily massacred by Jackson and
his men. He was personally in charge of saving New Orleans from British
invasion; American forces suffered only 8 terminal casualties, while the Brits
lost over 2,000, including the three most superior officers. Even after a
short retirement, Jackson again violated orders and was instrumental in driving
the Spanish out of Florida.
He had a fiery personality, unable to joke
about himself and constantly dueling to protect his honor. An assassin
once attacked him in the Capitol rotunda, firing two pistols less than 6 feet
away from Jackson. Jackson was unhurt, and allegedly beat the man up with
his cane. At one point, Jackson was in a duel with the "best shot in
Tennessee." The man, Dickinson, fired first and hit Jackson in the
chest, just above his heart. His blood pouting out, Jackson stood
stock-still and took his time aiming. Dickinson attempted to run, but was
forced to stand at his place, 24 feet from Jackson's unflinching pistol.
Dickinson covered his chest with crossed arms, and Jackson lodged a bullet in
Dickinson's groin. As a result, Dickinson died a slow, painful death.
Jackson was also notorious as a slave owner,
and openly ridiculed the idea of slave emancipation. This is also an
excellent point upon which to build his character, as he is faced with the
reality of the Riverworld, and the fact that blacks and other dark-skinned
peoples massively outnumber the whites. The audience can watch the rigid,
unflinchingly arrogant Jackson become a more compassionate
man.
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