Andrew Jackson's complexion. Record: his hair is described as reddish or sandy when he was young, gray by about 47, and "stiff and wiry." Contemporaries called him "a…

SUMMARYAndrew Jackson's complexion. Record: his hair is described as reddish or sandy when he was young, gray by about 47, and "stiff and wiry." Contemporaries called him "a redheaded man." No contemporary source calling him "swarthy" was found. The 1828 anti-Jackson press printed: "General Jackson's mother was a common prostitute... brought to this country by the British soldiers! She afterward married a mulatto man, with whom she had several children, of which number General Jackson is one!!!" (quoted in Remini, Andrew Jackson, ch. 1). This is a hostile witness (rule 3): a campaign smear meant to disqualify him, so it proves the attack, not his ancestry. Disputed. Lens: in 1828, calling a man "mulatto" was a weapon to disqualify him from office, which is itself a receipt on how the color line was used.