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Primary sourceArtifact1835

The Hermitage

1835

Andrew Jackson's Tennessee plantation home, worked by more than 150 enslaved people, where he lived from 1804 until his death in 1845.

Jackson's home and plantation, which he owned from 1804 until his death, built on the labor of over 150 enslaved people.

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Front view of The Hermitage, a two-story white Greek Revival mansion with tall columns across a front portico, green shutters, and a balcony above the entrance. Large trees frame the building, and a green lawn lies in front. Two people stand near the porch and a bench is visible.
The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's home near Nashville, Tennessee.

About this source

What it is

The Hermitage is a mansion and plantation near Nashville, Tennessee, owned by Andrew Jackson from 1804 until his death in 1845. The current Greek Revival house was rebuilt after an 1834 fire and is now a museum and National Historic Landmark.

Why it matters

The Hermitage shows the wealth and power Jackson built as a planter, which rested on the forced labor of enslaved men, women and children who grew the plantation's cotton. It reveals the contradiction between Jackson's image as a man of the people and his dependence on slavery.

Look closer

  • What does the grand architecture of the house tell you about Jackson's wealth and status?
  • Whose labor made this house and plantation possible, and whose story is missing from the building itself?
  • Why might a historic site like this choose to highlight or downplay the history of slavery?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Andrew Jackson on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Indian Removal Act

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