The Hermitage

After taking a day off yesterday, due to rain, we spent four hours at Andrew Jackson's estate today. It was an interesting day, a interesting estate and house, and a fair museum. Jackson's unique background and history makes for an interesting story. He is one of those individuals which did some pretty amazing things and has had local history cover up, rewrite, and minimize a number of his negative characteristics. Considered an advocate of the common man, he had a 1,000 acre estate, 80+ slaves,  hated the British, Washington bureaucrats, and Indians.  A lawyer, plantation owner, military general, and land baron; it was apparent that he was very much a type A person, egotistical, and self serving.

An interesting side note of the day was a small herd of Scottish Belted Galloway cattle on the estate. We had spotted these in the south last winter but didn't know what they were.  Essentially striped Holsteins.