Dr. Dustin Wood’s Class Tours The Hermitage
“I hope to meet you all in heaven, both Black and White.” According to Hannah, one of
the enslaved persons by Andrew Jackson’s bedside, these were the last words of the
former president before he died in his bedroom at The Hermitage. This account ofJackson’s final moments is one of many stories that can be told about the people who lived and worked at The Hermitage in Nashville, Tennessee.
A man of contradictions, Jackson was a champion of democracy and an enslaver of more than 100 people. Before becoming Commander-in-Chief, Jackson was a military hero and Tennessee politician who made his home 15 miles from Vanderbilt University’s campus. Jackson’s 8,000-square foot Greek Revival-style mansion is now a historical museum – the second oldest presidential home museum in the United States.
Thanks to the kind folks at The Hermitage, Dr. Dustin Wood’s Histories of Public Communication class had the opportunity to visit Jackson’s 1,000-acre estate for animmersive educational experience. On their private tour, Wood’s students enriched theirknowledge of the man nicknamed “Old Hickory” and the people – free and enslaved –who lived on Jackson’s once bustling plantation. Touring the mansion and grounds invited reflection on what lessons can be
gleaned from the past. The recent discovery of a cemetery for enslaved persons is a reminder that there is still much to learn – and many stories to be told – at The Hermitage.
Dr. Wood’s Histories of Public Communication class investigates U.S. history by examining rhetorical texts from the Founding Era through the 21st Century. In doing so, Wood and his students explore themes of identity (What does it mean to be an American? Whose America is this?) and nation creating, building, and sustaining. President Jackson represents a key figure in this historical drama.