Andrew Jackson's election to the presidency of the United States in 1829 represented a triumph of the common man for a very particular reason: Jackson was born into a humble, poor family without any strong financial background, educational opportunities, or social advantages (unlike previous American presidents). Instead, Jackson was able through military service, and the cultivation of a strong and engaging public personality, to rise through the ranks of American politics to become the president of the United States, in turn showing - to the public, at least - that any American could rise to the highest office in the nation, even without social, educational, and financial benefits.