Andrew Johnson

Andrew Johnson
source
Name	Andrew Johnson
Order	17th
Office	President of the United States
Term start	April 15, 1865
Term end	March 4, 1869
Vicepresident	None
Predecessor	Abraham Lincoln
Successor	Ulysses S. Grant
Order2	16th
Office2	Vice President of the United States
Term start2	March 4, 1865
Term end2	April 15, 1865
President2	Abraham Lincoln
Predecessor2	Hannibal Hamlin
Successor2	Schuyler Colfax
Office3	United States Senator, from Tennessee
Term start3	March 4, 1875
Term end3	July 31, 1875
Predecessor3	William G. Brownlow
Successor3	David M. Key
Term start4	October 8, 1857
Term end4	March 4, 1862
Predecessor4	James C. Jones
Successor4	David T. Patterson
Office5	15th Governor of Tennessee
Term start5	October 17, 1853
Term end5	November 3, 1857
Predecessor5	William B. Campbell
Successor5	Isham G. Harris
Office6	Military Governor of Tennessee
Term start6	March 12, 1862
Term end6	March 4, 1865
Appointer6	Abraham Lincoln
Predecessor6	Office established
Successor6	William G. Brownlow (as Governor)
Birth date	29 December 1808
Birth place	Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
Death date	31 July 1875
Death place	Elizabethton, Tennessee, U.S.
Party	Democratic (c. 1839–1864, 1868–1875)
Otherparty	National Union (1864–1868)
Spouse	Eliza McCardle, May 17, 1827
Children	5, including Martha Johnson Patterson
Signature alt	Cursive signature in ink
Branch	United States Army
Serviceyears	1862–1865
Rank	Brigadier General
Unit	Union Army
Battles	American Civil War

Andrew Johnson was the seventeenth President of the United States, ascending to the office following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865. His presidency was dominated by the contentious period of Reconstruction, during which he clashed bitterly with the Radical Republicans in Congress over the terms for readmitting the seceded Southern states. Johnson's lenient policies towards the former Confederate States of America and his vetoes of key civil rights legislation, including the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Freedmen's Bureau bills, led to his impeachment by the House of Representatives; he was subsequently acquitted by a single vote in the Senate.

Early life and career

Born into poverty in Raleigh, North Carolina, Johnson was apprenticed as a tailor before moving to Greeneville, Tennessee. His political career began with local offices, leading to election to the Tennessee House of Representatives. A staunch Jacksonian Democrat, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives, as Governor of Tennessee, and in the U.S. Senate. During the secession crisis, he remained a fervent Unionist, the only Southern senator not to resign his seat, which earned him favor with Abraham Lincoln and appointment as Military Governor of Tennessee during the American Civil War.

Presidency (1865–1869)

Johnson assumed the presidency intent on swiftly restoring the former Confederate states with minimal conditions, issuing broad amnesties and requiring only the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment. His approach, known as Presidential Reconstruction, allowed former Confederate leaders to regain power and led to the passage of restrictive Black Codes across the South. This provoked a decisive break with the Radical Republicans-led Congress, which responded by passing the Reconstruction Acts over his veto, placing the South under military governance and mandating new protections for freedmen.

Impeachment and trial

The conflict between Johnson and Congress culminated in 1868 when the House impeached him for violating the Tenure of Office Act by attempting to remove Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, a Lincoln appointee and ally of the Radicals. The subsequent trial in the Senate, presided over by Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase, captivated the nation. Johnson was acquitted by a single vote, with several Republican senators defying their party, a decision influenced by political calculations and respect for presidential authority.

Post-presidency and death

After leaving the White House, Johnson remained politically active. He made an unsuccessful bid for a U.S. Senate seat in 1869 and for a seat in the House in 1872. His persistence was rewarded in 1875 when the Tennessee General Assembly elected him to the U.S. Senate, making him the only former president to serve in that chamber. His return was brief; he suffered a stroke while visiting family in Carter County, Tennessee, and died shortly thereafter in Elizabethton, Tennessee.

Legacy and historical view

Historians consistently rank Johnson among the nation's worst presidents, criticizing his obstruction of Radical Reconstruction and his failure to secure civil rights for African Americans. His presidency enabled the rise of Redeemers and the imposition of Jim Crow laws, delaying racial equality for nearly a century. The major positive legislative achievement of his term, the Alaska Purchase from the Russian Empire, was orchestrated by Secretary of State William H. Seward. Johnson's impeachment established significant precedents regarding the limits of executive power and the process of congressional oversight.