[4] The county was organized December 15, 1826, and named for former Tennessee senator Andrew Jackson, who would become President of the United States three years later in 1829.

Jackson County was long home to members of the indigenous Osage tribe, who occupied this territory at the time of European encounter.

Jackson County was claimed as a part of the territory of New France, until 1763 and the British victory in the French and Indian War.

After that, France ceded this territory west of the Mississippi River to Great Britain's ally, Spain.

Soon abandoning its claims in North America, Napoleon of France sold the territory to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.

Among other items, their report indicated a "high, commanding position" along the river within the current boundaries of Jackson County; in 1808 Fort Osage was constructed there.

This stockade and trading post was one of the first U.S. military installations within the Louisiana Purchase territory, and remained active until 1822.

Following the American Civil War and construction of railroads through this area, nearby Kansas City, Missouri, ultimately eclipsed Independence, though both towns remain county seats.

The area outside Westport Landing was renamed in 1839 as the "Town of Kansas", after the local Kanza or Kaw tribe.

Jackson County figures prominently in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also known as Mormons.

[8] Traveling to the area in the summer of 1831, Smith and some associates formally proclaimed Jackson County as the site in a ceremony in August 1831.

[9] Leadership and members of the Church began moving to Jackson County soon after but open conflict with earlier settlers ensued, driven by religious and cultural differences.

Many early settlers along the Missouri River had come from the upper South: Kentucky and Tennessee, for instance, and brought their slaves and pro-slavery customs with them.

They did not return to Jackson County or Missouri in significant numbers until 1867, two years after the end of the Civil War.

During the Civil War, Jackson County was the scene of several engagements, the most notable of which was the Battle of Westport in 1864, sometimes referred to as "the Gettysburg of Missouri".

According to American artist George Caleb Bingham, who described the order as "imbecilic" and was a resident of Kansas City at the time, one could see the "dense columns of smoke arising in every direction", symbolic of what he termed "a ruthless military despotism which spared neither age, sex, character, nor condition".

The coming of the railroads and the building of stockyards led to the rapid expansion of Kansas City in the late 19th century.

During the 1920s and '30s, the city became a noted center for Jazz and Blues music, as well as the headquarters of Hallmark Cards and the site of Walt Disney's first animation studio.

Following World War II, developers followed new highways and created subdivisions for new housing, which increasingly encroached on rural portions of the county.

Independence, Blue Springs and Lee's Summit underwent growth during this period, which continues to the present.

[24] In mid-2019, Sheriff Forté directed a more-restrictive policy on high-speed pursuits the day after one of his deputies was charged with injuring a bystander during such a chase in May 2018.

The most predominant denominations among residents in Jackson County who adhere to a religion are Roman Catholics (19.51%), Southern Baptists (17.96%), and non-denominational evangelical Christians (11.52%).

Tom Schweich is the last Statewide Republican candidate to win the county in his landslide victory for State Auditor in 2014.