Andrew Jackson to be described as slave owner in new plaques

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Elected officials in Missouri's Jackson County are adding plaques to statues of the Kansas City area county's namesake noting the nation's seventh president was a slave owner and forced thousands of Native Americans off their lands.

The plaques to be added to statues of Andrew Jackson outside courthouses in downtown Kansas City and in nearby Independence will note: "Almost two centuries later, we hold a broader, more inclusive view of our nation," KMBC-TV reported.

Jackson began his term as president in 1829, almost three years after the Missouri State Legislature named the county after him because he was a hero of the War of 1812.

"This statue of Jackson reminds us we are on a path that, in the immortal words of Martin Luther King Jr., bends toward justice. In turn, we must acknowledge the past injustices to help us create a greater nation built upon humane policies to light our way and the way of humanity everywhere," the plaques will read.

"You may be entering this revered building today in a pursuit of truth or justice. Your own history is still being written."