Andrew Jackson, who defeated the British in the War of 1812 and became president of the United States in 1829, had a "Spartan mother".
When he was about five years old, she saw him crying one day. "Stop that, Andrew," she said. "Don't let me see you cry again! Girls were made to cry, not boys!" "Well, then, mother, what are boys made for?" asked Jackson. "To fight!" she told him. After that, Jackson never cried again.
When Jackson was about twelve and going to school one day, a fellow about 18 stopped him and gave him a thrashing. Jackson's uncle wanted to have the young man arrested and prosecuted. "No," said Jackson's mother. "No son of mine shall ever appear in a case of assault and battery as complaining witness. If he gets hold of a fellow too big for him, let him wait till he grows some and then try it again."
