Today, our Nation celebrates the birthday of President Andrew Jackson—a champion for the common man, a stalwart against political corruption, and a fierce defender of republican self-government. Andrew Jackson’s challenging childhood forged the fierce and independent spirit that defined his life.  From a young age, he endured unthinkable tragedy.  His father died just weeks before his birth, and the raging Revolutionary War claimed the lives of his mother and two brothers by his early teens.