HERMITAGE, Tenn. – Former President Andrew Jackson was honored on what would have been his 254th birthday at his home, The Hermitage, outside Nashville March 15.
Gov. Bill Lee joined Maj. Gen. Jeff Holmes, Tennessee's adjutant general, at the annual ceremony by placing a wreath at the tomb of the seventh president to celebrate his many contributions as a civil servant leading up to his presidency from 1829-1837. The wreath is presented on behalf of the president of the United States.
"Honoring President Jackson every year is always special for us," said Holmes. "Taking into consideration his many accomplishments both as a self-made man and elected official, it is his military successes that make it special for us. It is as an elected official and military officer he lived an extraordinary life."
Jackson was born into poverty in 1767 and orphaned by the age of 14. He began his path to the presidency as a lawyer and judge before being elected to Congress. In his military career, Jackson led the U.S. Army during the War of 1812. At the Battle of New Orleans, Gen. Jackson's troops defeated a larger British force in what many consider the greatest American land victory during the war.
"What may not be evident to many, President Jackson's leadership as a general is rightfully studied by military institutes of learning at the highest levels," said Holmes. "Jackson was a true Tennessean and a true American, in every sense of the word."
The Tennessee National Guard also provided a color guard, chaplain services, and the 129th Army Band during the ceremony.
The Andrew Jackson Foundation preserves The Hermitage to create learning opportunities and to inspire citizenship through experiencing Jackson's life and extraordinary impact. After the wreath-laying, visitors explored The Hermitage, a National Historic Landmark that hosts more than 75,000 guests every year.