Eliza Bunton Johnson

Eliza Bunton Johnson was the wife of the 17th President of the United States, Andrew Johnson, and served as First Lady of the United States from 1865 to 1869. A notably private and frail individual, she managed the White House from a second-floor room due to chronic tuberculosis, delegating most hostess duties to her eldest daughter, Martha Johnson Patterson. Despite her seclusion, she was a trusted advisor to her husband, particularly during the tumultuous period of his impeachment trial and the contentious politics of Reconstruction.

Early life and family

Eliza McCardle was born in Leesburg, Tennessee, the only child of John McCardle, a shoemaker, and Sarah Phillips. After her father's death, she moved with her mother to Greeneville, Tennessee, where she attended a local dame school. In Greeneville, she met the young tailor Andrew Johnson, who had recently arrived from Raleigh, North Carolina. Their courtship was brief, and they married on May 17, 1827, at the home of the bride's mother. Eliza was well-educated for her time and is credited with teaching the largely illiterate Andrew Johnson to improve his reading, writing, and arithmetic, skills crucial for his future career in state and national politics.

Marriage to Andrew Johnson

The Johnsons settled in Greeneville, where Andrew established a successful tailoring business and began his political ascent. Eliza Johnson managed their household and raised their five children: Martha, Charles, Mary, Robert, and Andrew Jr.. She provided steadfast support during her husband's campaigns for the Tennessee House of Representatives, U.S. House, Governor of Tennessee, and the United States Senate. During the American Civil War, when Andrew Johnson served as Military Governor of Tennessee and remained loyal to the Union, the family faced ostracism and danger in Confederate-controlled East Tennessee, cementing Eliza's resilience.

Role during the Johnson presidency

Following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in April 1865, Eliza Johnson became First Lady but was too ill with tuberculosis to fulfill many public duties. She resided primarily in a room on the second floor of the White House, where she received close friends and advisors. Her daughter, Martha Johnson Patterson, assumed the role of official hostess, overseeing the refurbishment of the executive mansion. From her sickroom, Eliza remained a constant and influential confidante to the president, offering counsel during the bitter clashes with the Radical Republicans in Congress over Reconstruction policies. Her presence was a source of stability for President Johnson throughout the political crisis that culminated in his impeachment by the House and narrow acquittal by the Senate in 1868.

Later life and death

After leaving the White House in March 1869, the Johnsons returned to Greeneville. Andrew Johnson made a brief political comeback, winning election to the United States Senate in 1875, but died shortly after taking his seat. Eliza Johnson's health continued to decline, and she survived her husband by only six months. She died on January 15, 1876, at the age of sixty-five, at the home of her daughter, Mary Johnson Stover, in Greeneville. She was interred beside the president at the Andrew Johnson National Cemetery in Greeneville.

Legacy and historical assessment

Historians generally regard Eliza Johnson as one of the most infirm and reclusive First Ladies, yet also recognize her as a figure of quiet intelligence and fortitude. Her role as an early tutor to Andrew Johnson and her steadfast advisory presence during the immense pressures of his presidency, particularly the impeachment proceedings, are noted as significant, if private, contributions. While she left no extensive public record or social legacy like some of her predecessors, such as Dolley Madison or Julia Tyler, her influence within the White House family quarters is considered substantive. Her life is commemorated at the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site in Tennessee.

Category:First Ladies of the United States Category:1810 births Category:1876 deaths Category:People from Greeneville, Tennessee Category:Spouses of presidents of the United States