In his obituary in 1899, the New York Times called Samual Worthington Dewey "one of the most picturesque characters in American history." For most of his life, Dewey was referred to in public as a sea captain, but his 92 years were much more eclectic. He collected knowledge and was attracted by persons who shared his acquisitive thirst for experience and learning. Based in the true-life experiences of Samuel W. Dewey, Stealing Andrew Jackson's Head is a fictionalized account of those events, as told by Dewey to eleven-year-old Jake Cooper.