Andrew Jackson kills Charles Dickinson in a duel (1806)

Andrew Jackson killed Charles Dickinson in a duel on May 30, 1806, near Adairville, Kentucky. The conflict originated from a horse race dispute and subsequent insults published in newspapers. Dickinson, an expert marksman, wounded Jackson, but Jackson killed Dickinson. The event occurred amidst tensions involving slavery and political rivalry in Tennessee and Kentucky.

Episodes

Background and detail

The Duel. The duel took place on May 30, 1806, near Adairville, Kentucky, adjacent to the Tennessee border. Dickinson, an expert marksman, aimed at Jackson's heart but was slightly deflected by Jackson's brass button. Jackson shot Dickinson in the chest, killing him. The duel wounded both men. Jackson later wrote a letter criticizing Dickinson's involvement in the slave trade, despite Jackson's own participation in it.

Aftermath. Jackson survived the duel despite being wounded. In a letter written after the duel, Jackson criticized Dickinson's character, focusing on his involvement in purchasing enslaved people in Maryland and carrying them to Natchez, while Jackson himself was an interstate slave trader, although he always denied it publicly.

People involved

Sources

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