Andrew Johnson
17th President of the United States
In office April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869
Vice President	none
Preceded by	Abraham Lincoln
Succeeded by	Ulysses S. Grant
16th Vice President of the United States
In office March 4, 1865 – April 15, 1865
President	Abraham Lincoln
Preceded by	Hannibal Hamlin
Succeeded by	Schuyler Colfax
United States Senator from Tennessee
In office October 8, 1857 – March 4, 1862
Preceded by	James C. Jones
Succeeded by	David T. Patterson
In office March 4, 1875 – July 31, 1875
Preceded by	William G. Brownlow
Succeeded by	David M. Key
17th Governor of Tennessee
In office October 17, 1853 – November 3, 1857
Preceded by	William B. Campbell
Succeeded by	Isham G. Harris
Born	December 29, 1808(1808-12-29) Raleigh, North Carolina
Died	July 31, 1875 (aged 66) Elizabethton, Tennessee
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic until 1864 and after 1869; elected Vice President in 1864 on a National Union ticket; no party affiliation 1865–1869
Spouse	Eliza McCardle Johnson
Occupation	Tailor
Religion	Christian (no denomination; attended Catholic and Methodist services)[1]
Signature

Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808 – July 31, 1875) was the seventeenth President of the United States (1865–1869), succeeding to the Presidency upon the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 1869 ( MDCCCLXIX) is a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Abraham Lincoln (February 12 1809 &ndash April 15 1865 the sixteenth President of the United States, successfully led his country through its greatest internal Ulysses S Grant, born Hiram Ulysses Grant (April 27 1822 &ndash July 23 1885 was an American general and the eighteenth President of the United States The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Abraham Lincoln (February 12 1809 &ndash April 15 1865 the sixteenth President of the United States, successfully led his country through its greatest internal Hannibal Hamlin (August 27 1809 July 4 1891 was the fifteenth Vice President of the United States, serving under President Abraham Lincoln from Schuyler Colfax Jr (March 23 1823 &ndash January 13 1885 was a U The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses Click here for Indian Rebellion of 1857 Year 1857 ( MDCCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday James Chamberlain Jones ( April 20, 1809 October 29, 1859) was the Governor of Tennessee from 1841 to 1845 and a United David Trotter Patterson ( February 28, 1818 &ndash November 3, 1891) was a United States Senator from Tennessee at the Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 1875 ( MDCCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 30 BC - Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian 's forces but most of his army subsequently Year 1875 ( MDCCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common William Gannaway Brownlow ( August 29, 1805 April 29, 1877) was Governor of Tennessee from 1865 to 1869 and a Senator David McKendree Key (January 27 1824 &ndash February 3 1900 was a Democratic U Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost Year 1853 ( MDCCCLIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina. Click here for Indian Rebellion of 1857 Year 1857 ( MDCCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the William Bowen Campbell ( February 1, 1807 August 19, 1867) was Governor of Tennessee from 1851 to 1853 Isham Green Harris ( February 10, 1818 July 8, 1897) was an American politician. Events 1170 - Thomas Becket: Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II Year 1808 ( MDCCCVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Raleigh (pronounced rah-lee) is the Capital of the State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA Events 30 BC - Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian 's forces but most of his army subsequently Year 1875 ( MDCCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Elizabethton is a city in and the County seat of Carter County, Tennessee, United States. The History of the United States Democratic Party is an account of the oldest Political party in the United States and arguably TalkDemocratic The National Union Party was a political party in the United States from 1864 to 1868. Elizabeth McCardle Johnson ( October 4, 1810 in Greeneville Tennessee &ndash January 15, 1876 in Greeneville Tennessee was A tailor is a person whose occupation is to sew and scissor menswear style jackets and the skirts or trousers that go with them A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Events 1170 - Thomas Becket: Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II Year 1808 ( MDCCCVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 30 BC - Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian 's forces but most of his army subsequently Year 1875 ( MDCCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, one of the last major events in the American Civil War, took place on Good Friday, April 14, 1865, when Abraham Lincoln (February 12 1809 &ndash April 15 1865 the sixteenth President of the United States, successfully led his country through its greatest internal

Johnson was a U.S. Senator from Greeneville, Tennessee, at the time of the secession of the Southern states. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Greeneville is a town in Greene County, Tennessee, United States. The Ordinance of Secession was the document drafted and ratified in 1860 and 1861 by the seceding states that officially declared their Secession from the He was the only southern Senator not to quit his post upon secession and became the most prominent War Democrat from the South, supporting the military policies of US President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War of 1861–1865. War Democrats were those who broke with the majority of the Democratic Party and supported the military policies of President Abraham Lincoln during the Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South In 1862 Lincoln appointed Johnson military governor of Tennessee, where he proved to be energetic and effective in fighting the rebellion. ^[2]

Johnson was nominated for the Vice President slot in 1864 on the National Union Party ticket. The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death The National Union Party was a political party in the United States from 1864 to 1868. He and Lincoln were elected in November 1864, and Johnson became president upon Lincoln's assassination on April 15, 1865. In the United States Presidential election of 1864, Abraham Lincoln was re-elected as president Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year

As president he took charge of Presidential Reconstruction — the first phase of Reconstruction — which lasted until the Radical Republicans gained control of Congress in the 1866 elections. In the History of the United States, " Reconstruction " refers to the time between 1863 and 1877 when the U The Radical Republicans is a term applied to a loose faction of American politicians within the Republican party from about 1854 (before the American Civil War His conciliatory policies towards the South, his hurry to reincorporate the former Confederates back into the union, and his vetoes of civil rights bills embroiled him in a bitter dispute with the Radical Republicans. ^[3] The Radicals in the House of Representatives impeached him in 1868, but he was acquitted by a single vote in the Senate. The United States House of Representatives is one of two chambers of the United States Congress. The United States Senate has a history of approximately 220 years as the upper house of the United States Congress, being described in the United States He was the first U.S. President to be impeached. Impeachment in the United States is an expressed power of the Legislature which allows for formal charges to be brought against a civil officer of government for conduct

Early life

Reconstruction of Johnson's boyhood home in North Carolina, located at the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site in Greeneville, Tennessee. North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States Andrew Johnson National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in Greeneville Tennessee maintained by the National Park Service. Greeneville is a town in Greene County, Tennessee, United States.

Johnson was born on December 29, 1808, in Raleigh, North Carolina, to Jacob Johnson and Mary McDonough. Events 1170 - Thomas Becket: Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II Year 1808 ( MDCCCVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Raleigh (pronounced rah-lee) is the Capital of the State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA Jacob Johnson (1778– January 4 1812) was the father of Andrew Johnson, the seventeenth President of the United States. Andrew Johnson's father, Jacob, passed away when Andrew was around three years old, leaving his family in poverty. Johnson's mother then took in work spinning and weaving to support her family and later remarried. Spinning is an ancient textile art in which plant, animal or synthetic Fibers are twisted together to form Yarn (or thread This article describes textile weaving For other senses of this word see Weaving (disambiguation. She bound Andrew as an apprentice tailor when he was 14 or 10. ^[4] At age 16 or 17 he broke his indenture and he and his brother ran away to Greeneville, Tennessee, where he found work as a tailor. An Indenture is a legal Contract between two parties particularly for indentured labour or a term of Apprenticeship but also for certain land Greeneville is a town in Greene County, Tennessee, United States. ^[2][5] Johnson married Eliza McCardle Johnson in 1827 at the age of 18, and between 1828 and 1852 the couple had 5 children: Martha (1828), Charles (1830), Mary (1832), Robert (1834), and Andrew Jr. Elizabeth McCardle Johnson ( October 4, 1810 in Greeneville Tennessee &ndash January 15, 1876 in Greeneville Tennessee was (1852). ^[6]

Johnson never attended any type of school and taught himself how to read and spell; his wife taught him arithmetic and tutored him to improve his literacy. ^[2]

Early political career

Johnson participated in debates at the local academy at Greeneville, Tennessee^[7] and later organized a workingman's party that elected him as alderman in 1829, which he served until he was elected mayor in 1833. An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions ^[2] In 1835 he was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives, where after serving a single term he was defeated for re-election. The Tennessee House of Representatives, is the Lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state Legislature of the U ^[6]

Johnson grew close with Andrew Jackson's states' rights Democratic Party and became a spokesman for low-income whites — particularly mountaineers and small farmers — against the plantation-owning aristocracy. Andrew Jackson (March 15 1767 June 8 1845 was the seventh President of the United States (1829&ndash1837 ^[7][2] In 1839 he was elected to the Tennessee Senate, where he served two consecutive two-year terms,^[6] and by 1843 he became the first Democrat to win election as the U. The Tennessee Senate is the Upper house of the Tennessee state Legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly Year 1843 ( MDCCCXLIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common S. Representative from Tennessee's 1st congressional district. The Tennessee 1st Congressional District is the congressional district of northeast Tennessee, including all of Carter, Cocke, Greene, Among his activity for the common man's interests as a member of the House of Representatives and the Senate, Johnson advocated 'a free farm for the poor' bill where farms would be given to landless farmers. ^[7] Johnson was a U. S. Representative for five terms, until 1853 when he was elected governor of Tennessee. ^[6][2]

Political ascendancy

Pre-Civil War photo of Johnson. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South

Johnson was elected governor of Tennessee, serving from 1853 to 1857, and was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate, and served from October 8, 1857 to March 4, 1862. Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses Click here for Indian Rebellion of 1857 Year 1857 ( MDCCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday He was chairman of the Committee to Audit and Control the Contingent Expense (Thirty-sixth Congress). The Thirty-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government consisting of the United States Senate and Before Tennessee voted on secession, Johnson — who lived in Unionist east Tennessee — toured the state speaking in opposition to the act, which he said was unconstitutional. Johnson was an aggressive stump speaker and often responded to hecklers, even those in the senate. At the time of secession of the Confederacy, Johnson was the only Senator from the seceded states to continue participation in Congress. Secession (derived from the Latin term secessio is the act of withdrawing from an organization union or especially a political entity The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 His explanation for this decision was "Damn the negroes, I am fighting those traitorous aristocrats, their masters. "^[2]

Lincoln appointed Johnson military governor of Tennessee in March 1862. ^[2] During his three years in this office he "moved resolutely to eradicate all pro-Confederate influences in the state. " This "unwavering commitment to the Union" was a significant factor in his choice as vice-president by Lincoln. ^[8] He vigorously suppressed the Confederates and later spoke out for black suffrage, arguing, "The better class of them will go to work and sustain themselves, and that class ought to be allowed to vote, on the ground that a loyal negro is more worthy than a disloyal white man. Negro is a term referring to people of Black African ancestry "^[9] According to tradition and local lore, on August 8, 1863, Johnson freed his personal slaves. ^[10]

Vice presidency

As a leading War Democrat and pro-Union southerner, Johnson was an ideal candidate for the Republicans in 1864 as they enlarged their base to include War Democrats and changed the party name to the National Union Party. War Democrats were those who broke with the majority of the Democratic Party and supported the military policies of President Abraham Lincoln during the The National Union Party was a political party in the United States from 1864 to 1868. He was elected Vice President of the United States and was inaugurated March 4, 1865. The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year At the ceremony, Johnson, who had been drinking to offset the pain of typhoid fever (as he explained later), gave a rambling speech and appeared intoxicated to many. Typhoid fever, also known as enteric fever, bilious fever, Yellow Jack or commonly just typhoid, is an illness caused by the Bacterium In early 1865, Johnson talked harshly of hanging traitors like Jefferson Davis, which endeared him to the Radicals. Jefferson Finis Davis ( June 3, 1808 &ndash December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as President of the ^[11]

Lincoln assassination

Main article: Abraham Lincoln assassination

On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln was shot and mortally wounded by Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth while attending a play at Ford's Theater. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, one of the last major events in the American Civil War, took place on Good Friday, April 14, 1865, when Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 Abraham Lincoln assassination John Wilkes Booth (May 10 1838 – April 26 1865 was an American stage actor who assassinated Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the Ford's Theatre is a historic Theatre in Washington DC, used for various Booth's plan was to decapitate the administration by ordering conspirators to assassinate Johnson and Secretary of State William H. Seward that same night. The United States Secretary of State (commonly abbreviated as SecState) is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with Foreign affairs This article is about the New York Governor and Secretary of State Seward narrowly survived his wounds, while Johnson escaped attack as his would-be assassin, George Atzerodt, failed to go through with the plan. George Andreas Atzerodt ( June 12, 1835 &ndash July 7, 1865)[http//www

Presidency 1865–1869

Engraving of Johnson.

The morning after Lincoln's assassination, Johnson was sworn in as President of the United States on April 15, 1865 by Lincoln's newly appointed Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase. Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the judicial branch of the government of the United States, and presides over the U Salmon Portland Chase ( January 13, 1808 – May 7, 1873) was an American politician and jurist in the Civil War era Johnson was the first Vice President to succeed to the U. S. Presidency upon the assassination of a President and the sixth vice president to become a president. AssassiNation is the sixth album by Krisiun, released in 2006 on Century Media. ^[12][7]

Johnson had an ambiguous party status. He attempted to build a party of loyalists under the National Union label, but he did not identify with the two main parties while President—though he did try for the Democratic nomination in 1868. The National Union Party was a political party in the United States from 1864 to 1868. Asked in 1868 why he did not become a Democrat, he said "It is true I am asked why don't I join the Democratic Party. Why don't they join me. . . if I have administered the office of president so well?"^[13]

Foreign policy

Johnson forced the French out of Mexico by sending a combat army to the border and issuing an ultimatum. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The French withdrew in 1867, and their government quickly collapsed. Secretary of State Seward negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia on April 9, 1867 for $7. This article is about the New York Governor and Secretary of State The Alaska Purchase (otherwise known as Seward's Folly or Seward's Icebox) by the United States from the Russian Empire occurred in 1867 at the behest Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1867 ( MDCCCLXVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting 2 million. Critics sneered at "Seward's Folly" and "Seward's Icebox" and "Icebergia. The Alaska Purchase (otherwise known as Seward's Folly or Seward's Icebox) by the United States from the Russian Empire occurred in 1867 at the behest " Seward also negotiated to purchase the Danish West Indies, but the Senate refused to approve the purchase in 1867 (it eventually happened in 1917). The Danish West Indies ( Danish: Dansk Vestindien or De dansk-vestindiske øer) or "Danish Antilles" were a colony of Denmark-Norway The Senate likewise rejected Seward's arrangement with the United Kingdom to arbitrate the Alabama Claims. The Alabama Claims were a series of claims for Damages by the government of the U

The U. S. experienced tense relations with the United Kingdom and its colonial government in Canada in the aftermath of the war. Lingering resentment over the perception of British sympathy towards the Confederacy resulted in Johnson initially turning a blind eye towards a series of armed incursions by Irish-American civil war veterans into British territory in Canada, named the Fenian Raids. The Fenian raids were attacks by members of the Fenian Brotherhood based in the United States, on British army forts customs posts and other targets in ^[14] Eventually, Johnson ordered the Fenians disarmed and barred from crossing the border, but his hesitant reaction to the crisis helped motivate the movement toward Canadian Confederation. Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed beginning 1 July 1867 from the ^[14]

Reconstruction

Main article: Reconstruction era of the United States

A political cartoon of Andrew Johnson and Abraham Lincoln, 1865. In the History of the United States, " Reconstruction " refers to the time between 1863 and 1877 when the U The caption reads (Johnson): Take it quietly Uncle Abe and I will draw it closer than ever. (Lincoln): A few more stitches Andy and the good old Union will be mended.

Northern anger over the assassination of Lincoln and the immense human cost of the war led to demands for harsh policies. Vice President Andrew Johnson had taken a hard line and spoke of hanging rebel Confederates. In late April, 1865 he was noted telling an Indiana delegation that, "Treason must be made odious. . . traitors must be punished and impoverished . . . their social power must be destroyed. " However, when he succeeded Lincoln as President, Johnson took a much softer line noting, "I say, as to the leaders, punishment. I also say leniency, reconciliation and amnesty to the thousands whom they have misled and deceived. "^[15] and ended up pardoning many Confederate leaders and ex-Confederates to maintain their control of Southern state governments, Southern lands, and black people. ^[16]

His class-based resentment of the rich appeared in a May 1865 statement to W. H. Holden, the man he appointed governor of North Carolina: "I intend to confiscate the lands of these rich men whom I have excluded from pardon by my proclamation, and divide the proceeds thereof among the families of the wool hat boys, the Confederate soldiers, whom these men forced into battle to protect their property in slaves. "^[17] In practice, Johnson was not at all harsh toward the Confederate leaders. He allowed the Southern states to hold elections in 1865, resulting in prominent ex-Confederates being elected to the U. S. Congress; however, Congress did not seat them. Congress and Johnson argued in an increasingly public way about Reconstruction and the manner in which the Southern secessionist states would be readmitted to the Union. In the History of the United States, " Reconstruction " refers to the time between 1863 and 1877 when the U Johnson favored a very quick restoration, similar to the plan of leniency that Lincoln advocated before his death.

Break with the Republicans: 1866

Johnson-appointed governments all passed Black Codes that gave the Freedmen second class status. A freedman is a former slave who has been manumitted or emancipated. In response to the Black Codes and worrisome signs of Southern recalcitrance, the Radical Republicans blocked the re-admission of the ex-rebellious states to the Congress in fall 1865. Congress also renewed the Freedman's Bureau, but Johnson vetoed it. The Bureau of Refugees Freedmen and Abandoned Lands (usually referred to as the Freedmen's Bureau) was a U Senator Lyman Trumbull of Illinois, leader of the moderate Republicans, took affront at the Black Codes. Lyman Trumbull ( October 12, 1813 &ndash June 25, 1896) was a United States Senator from Illinois during the Trumbull proposed the first Civil Rights bill.

Although strongly urged by moderates in Congress to sign the Civil Rights bill, Johnson broke decisively with them by vetoing it on March 27. His veto message objected to the measure because it conferred citizenship on the Freedmen at a time when eleven out of thirty-six States were unrepresented and attempted to fix by Federal law "a perfect equality of the white and black races in every State of the Union. " Johnson said it was an invasion by Federal authority of the rights of the States; it had no warrant in the Constitution and was contrary to all precedents. It was a "stride toward centralization and the concentration of all legislative power in the national government. "^[18] Johnson, in a letter to Governor Thomas C. Fletcher of Missouri, wrote, "This is a country for white men, and by God, as long as I am President, it shall be a government for white men. "^[19]

The Democratic Party, proclaiming itself the party of white men, north and South, aligned with Johnson. ^[20] However the Republicans in Congress overrode his veto (the Senate by the vote of 33:15, the House by 182:41) and the Civil Rights bill became law.

The last moderate proposal was the Fourteenth Amendment, also authored by moderate Trumbull. The Fourteenth Amendment ( Amendment XIV) to the United States Constitution is one of the post- Civil War Reconstruction Amendments, first It was designed to put the key provisions of the Civil Rights Act into the Constitution, but it went much further. It extended citizenship to everyone born in the United States (except Indians on reservations), penalized states that did not give the vote to Freedmen, and most importantly, created new Federal civil rights that could be protected by Federal courts. It guaranteed the Federal war debt (and promised the Confederate debt would never be paid). Johnson used his influence to block the amendment in the states, as three-fourths of the states were required for ratification. (The Amendment was later ratified. )

The moderate effort to compromise with Johnson had failed and an all-out political war broke out between the Republicans (both Radical and moderate) on one side, and on the other Johnson and his allies in the Democratic party in the North, and the conservative groupings in the South. The decisive battle was the election of 1866. The US House election 1866 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1866 Johnson campaigned vigorously but was widely ridiculed. ^[21] The Republicans won by a landslide (the Southern states were not allowed to vote), and took full control of Reconstruction. Johnson was almost powerless.

Historian James Ford Rhodes has explained Johnson's inability to engage in serious negotiations:

As Senator Charles Sumner shrewdly said, "the President himself is his own worst counselor, as he is his own worst defender. James Ford Rhodes ( 1 May 1848 – 22 January 1927) was an American Industrialist and Historian born in Cleveland Charles Sumner (January 6 1811 &ndash March 11 1874 was an American politician and statesman from Massachusetts. " Johnson acted in accordance with his nature. He had intellectual force but it worked in a groove. Obstinate rather than firm it undoubtedly seemed to him that following counsel and making concessions were a display of weakness. At all events from his December message to the veto of the Civil Rights Bill he yielded not a jot to Congress. The moderate senators and representatives (who constituted a majority of the Union party) asked him for only a slight compromise; their action was really an entreaty that he would unite with them to preserve Congress and the country from the policy of the radicals. The two projects which Johnson had most at heart were the speedy admission of the Southern senators and representatives to Congress and the relegation of the question of 'negro suffrage' to the States themselves. Himself shrinking from the imposition on these communities of the franchise for the colored people, his unyielding position in regard to matters involving no vital principle did much to bring it about. His quarrel with Congress prevented the readmission into the Union on generous terms of the members of the late Confederacy; and for the quarrel and its unhappy results Johnson's lack of imagination and his inordinate sensitiveness to political gadflies were largely responsible: it was not a contest in which fundamentals were involved. He sacrificed two important objects to petty considerations. His pride of opinion, his desire to beat, blinded him to the real welfare of the South and of the whole country. ^[22]

Impeachment

First attempt

Theodore R. Davis' illustration of Johnson's impeachment trial in the United States Senate, published in Harper's Weekly. Theodore R Davis (1840 &ndash 1894 was a 19th-century American Artist, who made numerous drawings of significant military and political events during the American The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives

There were two attempts to remove President Andrew Johnson from office. The first occurred in the fall of 1867. On November 21, 1867, the House Judiciary committee produced a bill of impeachment that was basically a vast collection of complaints against him. Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. Year 1867 ( MDCCCLXVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting After a furious debate, a formal vote was held in the House of Representatives on December 5, 1867, which failed 108-57. Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations. Year 1867 ( MDCCCLXVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting ^[23]

Second attempt

Main article: Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

Johnson notified Congress that he had removed Edwin Stanton as Secretary of War and was replacing him in the interim with Adjutant-General Lorenzo Thomas. The Impeachment of President Andrew Johnson was one of the biggest scandals in the United States during Reconstruction. Edwin McMasters Stanton ( December 19, 1814 &ndash December 24, 1869) was an American lawyer politician United States Lorenzo Thomas ( October 26, 1804 &ndash March 2, 1875) was a career United States Army officer who was Adjutant General Johnson had wanted to replace Stanton with former General Ulysses S. Grant, who refused to accept the position. Ulysses S Grant, born Hiram Ulysses Grant (April 27 1822 &ndash July 23 1885 was an American general and the eighteenth President of the United States This violated the Tenure of Office Act, a law enacted by Congress in March 1867 over Johnson's veto, specifically designed to protect Stanton. The Tenure of Office Act ( March 2, 1867) enacted over the veto of President Andrew Johnson, denied the President of the United States the ^[24] Johnson had vetoed the act, claiming it was unconstitutional. The act said, ". . . every person holding any civil office, to which he has been appointed by and with the advice and consent of the Senate . . . shall be entitled to hold such office until a successor shall have been in like manner appointed and duly qualified," thus removing the President's previous unlimited power to remove any of his Cabinet members at will. Years later in the case Myers v. United States in 1926, the Supreme Court ruled that such laws were indeed unconstitutional. Myers v United States,, was a United States Supreme Court decision ruling that the President has the exclusive power to remove Executive branch The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. ^[25]

The 1868 Impeachment Resolution

The Senate and House entered into debate. Thomas attempted to move into the war office, for which Stanton had Thomas arrested. Three days after Stanton's removal, the House impeached Johnson for intentionally violating the Tenure of Office Act. Impeachment is the first of two stages in a specific process for a legislative body to forcibly remove a Government official

The Situation
A Harper's Weekly cartoon gives a humorous breakdown of "the situation". Harper's Weekly ( A Journal of Civilization) was an American political Magazine based in New York City. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton aims a cannon labeled "Congress" on the side at President Johnson and Lorenzo Thomas to show how Stanton was using congress to defeat the president and his unsuccessful replacement. The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington 's administration Edwin McMasters Stanton ( December 19, 1814 &ndash December 24, 1869) was an American lawyer politician United States The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by Lorenzo Thomas ( October 26, 1804 &ndash March 2, 1875) was a career United States Army officer who was Adjutant General He also holds a rammer marked "Tenure of Office Bill" and cannon balls on the floor are marked "Justice". Ulysses S. Grant and an unidentified man stand to Stanton's left. Ulysses S Grant, born Hiram Ulysses Grant (April 27 1822 &ndash July 23 1885 was an American general and the eighteenth President of the United States

On March 5, 1868, a court of impeachment was constituted in the Senate to hear charges against the President. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian moves from Antioch with an army of 90000 to attack the Sassanid Empire, in a Year 1868 ( MDCCCLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap William M. Evarts served as his counsel. William Maxwell Evarts ( February 6, 1818 &ndash February 28, 1901) was an American lawyer and statesman who served as US Eleven articles were set out in the resolution, and the trial before the Senate lasted almost three months. Johnson's defense was based on a clause in the Tenure of Office Act stating that the then-current secretaries would hold their posts throughout the term of the President who appointed them. Since Lincoln had appointed Stanton, it was claimed, the applicability of the act had already run its course.

There were three votes in the Senate: one on May 16 for the 11th article of impeachment, which included many of the charges contained in the other articles, and two on May 26 for the second and third articles, after which the trial adjourned. On all three occasions, thirty-five Senators voted "guilty" and nineteen "not guilty. " As the Constitution requires a two-thirds majority for conviction in impeachment trials, Johnson was acquitted. A single changed vote would have sufficed to return a "Guilty" verdict. Seven Republican senators were disturbed by how the proceedings had been manipulated in order to give a one-sided presentation of the evidence. Senators William Pitt Fessenden, Joseph S. Fowler, James W. Grimes, John B. Henderson, Lyman Trumbull, Peter G. Van Winkle,^[26] and Edmund G. Ross of Kansas, who provided the decisive vote,^[27] defied their party and public opinion and voted against conviction. William Pitt Fessenden (October 16 1806 &ndash September 8 1869 was an American politician from the U Joseph Smith Fowler ( August 31, 1820 &ndash April 1, 1902) was a United States Senator from Tennessee from 1866 to 1871 James Wilson Grimes (born October 20 1816, Deering New Hampshire d John Brooks Henderson ( November 16, 1826 &ndash April 12, 1913) was a United States Senator from Missouri and a co-author Lyman Trumbull ( October 12, 1813 &ndash June 25, 1896) was a United States Senator from Illinois during the Peter Godwin Van Winkle ( September 7, 1808 &ndash April 15, 1872) was a United States Senator from West Virginia Edmund Gibson Ross ( December 7, 1826 May 8, 1907) was a Politician who represented the state of Kansas

Before 1960 most historians held the impeachment of Andrew Johnson as a violation of American values regarding division of powers and fair play. Had Johnson been successfully removed from office, he would have been replaced with Radical Republican Benjamin Wade, making the presidency and Congress somewhat uniform in ideology, although in many ways Wade was more "radical" than the Republicans in Congress. The Radical Republicans is a term applied to a loose faction of American politicians within the Republican party from about 1854 (before the American Civil War Benjamin Franklin "Bluff" Wade ( October 27, 1800 &ndash March 2, 1878) was a U This would have established a precedent that a President could be removed not for "high crimes and misdemeanors," but for purely political differences.

Christmas Day amnesty for Confederates

One of Johnson's last significant acts was granting unconditional amnesty to all Confederates on Christmas Day, December 25, 1868. Amnesty (from the Greek amnestia, oblivion is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian Year 1868 ( MDCCCLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap This was after the election of U. S. Grant to succeed him, but before Grant took office in March 1869. Earlier amnesties requiring signed oaths and excluding certain classes of people were issued both by Lincoln and by Johnson.

Administration and Cabinet

States admitted to the Union

• Nebraska - March 1, 1867

Post-presidency

The Johnson home in Greeneville, Tennessee 1886, today restored and known as the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death The United States Secretary of State (commonly abbreviated as SecState) is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with Foreign affairs This article is about the New York Governor and Secretary of State The United States Secretary of the Treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, concerned with finance and monetary matters, and until For the American poet see Hugh McCulloch (poet. Hugh McCulloch ( December 7, 1808 &ndash May 24, 1895) was an The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington 's administration Edwin McMasters Stanton ( December 19, 1814 &ndash December 24, 1869) was an American lawyer politician United States John McAllister Schofield (September 29 1831 &ndash March 4 1906 was an American soldier who held major commands during the American Civil War. The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice (see) concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement James Speed ( March 11, 1812 &ndash June 25, 1887) was an American lawyer politician and professor Henry Stanbery ( February 20, 1803 &ndash June 26, 1881) was an American lawyer and Presidential Cabinet member William Maxwell Evarts ( February 6, 1818 &ndash February 28, 1901) was an American lawyer and statesman who served as US The United States Postmaster General is the executive head of the United States Postal Service. Alexander Williams Randall ( October 31, 1819 July 26, 1872) was a Lawyer, Judge and Politician from Wisconsin The United States Secretary of the Navy ( SECNAV) is the Civilian head of the Department of the Navy. Gideon Welles ( July 1, 1802 &ndash February 11, 1878) was the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1861 to 1869 The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior. John Palmer Usher ( January 16, 1816 &ndash April 13, 1889) was a U James Harlan ( August 26, 1820 &ndash October 5, 1899) was a member of the United States Senate and a U Orville Hickman Browning ( February 10, 1806 &ndash August 10, 1881) was a Republican Senator from Illinois Nebraska ( is a state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States and Greeneville is a town in Greene County, Tennessee, United States. Andrew Johnson National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in Greeneville Tennessee maintained by the National Park Service.

Johnson was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the United States Senate from Tennessee in 1868 and to the House of Representatives in 1872. However, in 1874 the Tennessee legislature did elect him to the U. S. Senate. Johnson served from March 4, 1875, until his death from a stroke near Elizabethton, Tennessee, on July 31 that same year. Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 1875 ( MDCCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Elizabethton is a city in and the County seat of Carter County, Tennessee, United States. In his first speech since returning to the Senate, which was also his last, Johnson spoke about political turmoil in Louisiana^[28]. His passion aroused a standing ovation from many of his fellow senators who had once voted to remove him from the presidency. He is the only former President to serve in the Senate. ^[28]

Interment was in the Andrew Johnson National Cemetery, Greeneville, Tennessee, where he was buried with a copy of the Constitution. Greeneville is a town in Greene County, Tennessee, United States. Andrew Johnson National Cemetery is now part of the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site. Andrew Johnson National Historic Site is a National Historic Site in Greeneville Tennessee maintained by the National Park Service.

Historians' changing views on Andrew Johnson

Historians have gone through cycles on Johnson. The Dunning School of the early 20th century saw him as a heroic bulwark against the corruption of the Radical Republicans who tried to remove the entire leadership class of the white South. The Dunning School refers to a group of historians who shared a historiographical School of thought regarding the Reconstruction period of American Johnson seemed to be the legitimate heir of the sainted Abraham Lincoln.

By the 1930s a series of favorable biographies enhanced his prestige. ^[29] Johnson's Republican critics of the 1860s appeared as disreputable to liberal historians as did the Republican critics of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Furthermore, a Beardian School (named after Charles Beard and typified by Howard K. Charles Austin Beard ( November 27, 1874 – September 1, 1948) is widely regarded along with Frederick Jackson Turner, as one of Beale) argued that the Republican Party in the 1860s was a tool of corrupt business interests, and that Johnson stood for the people. Historian Eric Foner says that by 1948, historians regarded Reconstruction, "as a time of corruption and misgovernment caused by granting black men the right to vote. " They rated Johnson "near great. "

By 1960, however, historians such as Erik McKitrick asserted that Johnson was a poor politician who could not build coalitions and was doomed to failure. The Civil Rights movement of the 1960s brought a new perspective to the practice of history as well as to civil legislation. See also Protests of 1968 Historically the civil rights movement was a concentrated period of time around the world of approximately twenty years (1960-1980 in Historians noted African American efforts to establish public education and welfare institutions, gave muted praise for Republican efforts to extend suffrage and provide other social institutions, and excoriated Johnson for siding explicitly with the white South.

Johnson's purchase of Alaska from the Russian Empire in 1867 is believed to be a most important foreign policy action, with the purchase proving itself vital to national security during the Cold War (mid-1940s until the early 1990s). The Alaska Purchase (otherwise known as Seward's Folly or Seward's Icebox) by the United States from the Russian Empire occurred in 1867 at the behest The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the The idea and implementation is credited to Seward as Secretary of State, but Johnson approved the plan. Gold was not discovered in Alaska until 1880, thirteen years after the purchase and five years after Johnson's death, and oil was not discovered until 1968.

See also

• List of American Civil War generals
• United States presidential election, 1864
• History of the United States (1865-1918)
• Tennessee Johnson

Bibliography

• Howard K. This is a list of people who were General officers in the American Civil War. In the United States Presidential election of 1864, Abraham Lincoln was re-elected as president The history of the United States (1865–1918 covers Reconstruction and the rise of Industrialization in the United States. Tennessee Johnson was a 1942 American film about Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States Beale, The Critical Year. A Study of Andrew Johnson and Reconstruction (1930). ISBN 0-8044-1085-2
• Michael Les Benedict, The Impeachment and Trial of Andrew Johnson (1999). ISBN 0-393-31982-2 online edition
• Albert E. Castel, The Presidency of Andrew Johnson (1979). ISBN 0-7006-0190-2
• D. M. DeWitt, The Impeachment and Trial of Andrew Johnson (1903).
• W. A. Dunning, Essays on the Civil War and Reconstruction (New York, 1898) online edition
• W. A. Dunning, Reconstruction, Political and Economic (New York, 1907) online edition
• Foster, G. William Archibald Dunning (1857-1922 was an American Historian who founded the Dunning School of Reconstruction historiography at Columbia Allen, Impeached: The President who almost lost his job (New York, 1964).
• Eric L. McKitrick, Andrew Johnson and Reconstruction (1961). ISBN 0-19-505707-4
• Martin E. Mantell; Johnson, Grant, and the Politics of Reconstruction (1973) online edition
• Hatfield, Mark O., with the Senate Historical Office, Vice Presidents of the United States, 1789-1993. Mark Odom Hatfield (born July 12 1922 is an American politician and educator from the state of Oregon. (Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1997), p. 219
• Howard Means, The Avenger Takes His Place: Andrew Johnson and the 45 Days That Changed the Nation (New York, 2006)
• Milton; George Fort. The Age of Hate: Andrew Johnson and the Radicals (1930) online edition
• Patton; James Welch. Unionism and Reconstruction in Tennessee, 1860–1869 (1934) online edition
• Rhodes; James Ford History of the United States from the Compromise of 1850 to the McKinley-Bryan Campaign of 1896. Volume: 6. 1920. Pulitzer prize. online edition
• Schouler, James. History of the United States of America: Under the Constitution vol. 7. 1865–1877. The Reconstruction Period (1917) online edition
• Sledge, James L. III. "Johnson, Andrew" in Encyclopedia of the American Civil War. editedby David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler. (2000)
• Lloyd P. Stryker, Andrew Johnson: A Study in Courage (1929). ISBN 0-403-01231-7 online edition
• Trefousse, Hans L. Andrew Johnson: A Biography (1989). ISBN 0-393-31742-0 online edition
• Winston; Robert W. Andrew Johnson: Plebeian and Patriot (1928) online edition

Primary sources

• Ralph W. Haskins, LeRoy P. Graf, and Paul H. Bergeron et al, eds. The Papers of Andrew Johnson 16 volumes; University of Tennessee Press, (1967–2000). ISBN 1-57233-091-0. ) Includes all letters and speeches by Johnson, and many letters written to him. Complete to 1875.
• Newspaper clippings, 1865–1869
• Series of Harper's Weekly articles covering the impeachment controversy and trial
• Johnson's obituary, from the New York Times

Notes

External links

• Extensive essay on Andrew Johnson and shorter essays on each member of his cabinet and First Lady from the Miller Center of Public Affairs
• Works by Andrew Johnson at Project Gutenberg
• Obituary, NY Times, August 1, 1875, Andrew Johnson Dead
• Articles of Impeachment
• White House Biography
• Andrew Johnson at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Vice Presidential biography. From the Senate Historical Office.
• Mr. Lincoln's White House: Andrew Johnson
• Andrew Johnson Cleveland Speech (September 3, 1866)
• Congressional Globe transcript of Johnsons inaugural address
• Speeches of Andrew Johnson : President of the United States 1866 collection at archive.org
• Tennessee State Library & Archives, Andrew Johnson Papers, 1846-1875
• Tennessee State Library & Archives, Papers of Governor Andrew Johnson, 1853-1857
• Tennessee State Library & Archives, Papers of (Military) Governor Andrew Johnson, 1862-1865
• Andrew Johnson's 200th Birthday Celebration site at DiscoverGreeneville.com
• Andrew Johnson: A Resource Guide from the Library of Congress