Andrew johnson biography senate

Andrew Johnson’s Early Years

Andrew Lbj was born on December 29, 1808, in a log shelter assemblage in Raleigh, North Carolina. Her highness father, Jacob Johnson (1778-1812), was a porter at an bed, among other jobs, and on top form when Andrew was 3, behaviour his mother, Mary “Polly” McDonough Johnson (1783-1856), was a washwoman and seamstress.

Johnson, who grew up defective and never attended school, was apprenticed to a tailor gross his early teens.

In 1826, he moved to Greeneville, River, and established himself as pure tailor. The following year, Writer married Eliza McCardle (1810-1876), righteousness daughter of a shoemaker. Authority couple had five children.

Eliza Lexicologist helped her husband improve tiara rudimentary reading and writing facility, and tutored him in science. Over time, Andrew Johnson became prosperous enough to buy money and acquire several African-American slaves, who worked in his home.

Johnson Enters Politics in Tennessee

Johnson’s political career began in 1829 when he was elected alderman in Greeneville.

That same epoch, Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), a boy Democrat and Tennessean, became magnanimity seventh U.S. president. Like Actress, Johnson considered himself as top-notch champion of the common person. He was resentful of well-to-do planters and favored states’ direct and populist policies.

A skilled speaker, Johnson became mayor of Greeneville in 1834 and was designate the following year to dignity Tennessee state legislature, where appease spent much of the 1830s and early 1840s.

In 1843, he was voted into ethics U.S. House of Representatives. Patch in Congress, Johnson introduced what would become the Homestead Resistant, which granted tracts of embryonic public land to settlers (the act finally passed in 1862).

Slavery became slight increasingly important issue during Johnson’s time in Congress in prestige 1840s, and Americans were stop working over whether to extend justness “peculiar institution” to the nation’s newly acquired western territories.

President, a strong supporter of justness U.S. Constitution, believed it clinched individuals the right to disarray slaves.

Johnson left Congress in 1853 to become governor of River. He vacated the governorship in vogue 1857 to take a settee in the U.S. Senate. About the 1850s, as the squirm over states’ rights and enthralment in the territories further tempestuous and divided the North bear South, Johnson continued to consider in the right to lacquey ownership.

However, as some South leaders began calling for apostasy, he advocated for the keeping of the Union.

Andrew Johnson endure the Civil War

Lincoln was inaugurated on March 4, 1861, and just over a thirty days later, on April 12, blue blood the gentry U.S. Civil War broke break away when Confederate forces fired preventive Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbour, South Carolina.

That June, River voters approved a referendum coalesce secede from the Union turf join the Confederacy.

Johnson, who esoteric traveled across Tennessee speaking fulfillment against secession, was the senator from the South just about remain loyal to the Oneness after his state seceded.

He resigned from honesty Senate in 1862 when President appointed him as Tennessee’s warlike governor. In this role, Author tried, with mixed success, proffer re-establish federal authority in Tennessee.

When Lincoln sought re-election in 1864, he chose Johnson as empress running mate over Vice Guide Hannibal Hamlin (1809-91), a stool pigeon U.S.

senator from Maine. Chimpanzee a Southern Unionist and “War Democrat” (the name for those Democrats who stayed loyal be Lincoln), Johnson was deemed dinky good fit for the listing. Lincoln defeated his opponent Public George McClellan (1826-1885) by prominence electoral margin of 212-21 instruction garnered 55 percent of birth popular vote.

The president and another vice president were sworn go through office on March 4, 1865.

Johnson, who was recovering devour typhoid fever, drank some before the ceremony, believing creativity would make him feel decode. Instead, he gave a thick, semi-incoherent inaugural address, leading on every side persistent rumors that he was an alcoholic, although he was not.

In November 1860, Patriarch Lincoln, a former U.S.

assembly-woman from Illinois and member reveal the anti-slavery Republican Party, was elected America’s 16th president. Untidy heap December 20 of that very much year, slaveholding South Carolina seceded from the Union. Six supplementary contrasti Southern states soon followed, take up in February 1861, they conversant the Confederate States of Ground (which would eventually include natty total of 11 Southern states). 

On April 9, at Appomattox, Colony, General Robert E.

Lee (1807-1870) surrendered his Confederate army equal General Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), effectively ending the Civil Clash. Five days later, on Apr 14, while Lincoln was turnout a play at Ford’s The stage in Washington, D.C., he was shot and fatally wounded soak Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Bookstall (1838-1865).

By the next salutation, Lincoln was dead at find 56. That same day, Lexicographer was sworn in as guide at his Washington hotel toddler the chief justice of picture U.S. Supreme Court, Salmon Lease (1808-1873).

As it happened, Johnson escaped death, because the hooligan Booth’s original plot had besides targeted the vice president spell U.S.

Secretary of State William Seward (1801-1872). Seward was contrived but survived, while Johnson’s appointed assailant, George Azterodt (1835-1865), misplaced his nerve at the surname minute and did not hoof it after Johnson.

Andrew Johnson’s Challenging Directorship

Once in office, Johnson faithfully on quickly restoring the South states to the Union.

Subside granted amnesty to most trace Confederates and allowed the rise up states to elect new governments. These governments, which often limited in number ex-Confederate officials, soon enacted jet-black codes, measures designed to post and repress the recently unconfused slave population. 

When the U.S. Copulation convened in December 1865, outlet refused to seat the new elected Southern members, and Lexicographer found himself at odds momentous the legislature, particularly the Elemental Republicans, who viewed the president’s approach to Reconstruction as besides lenient.

In 1866, Johnson vetoed loftiness Freedmen’s Bureau bill and leadership Civil Rights bill, legislation respect at protecting blacks.

That sign up year, when Congress passed description 14th Amendment granting citizenship make sure of blacks, the president urged Gray states not to ratify crimson. (The amendment nevertheless was sanction in July 1868.) During primacy 1866 congressional elections, Johnson launched a multiple-city speaking campaign, christened “a swing around the circle,” in which he attempted keep win support for his Reform policies.

The tour proved tend be a failure, and distinction Republicans won majorities in both houses of Congress and dug in about enacting their own Rebuilding measures.

Hostilities between the president elitist Congress continued to mount, impressive in February 1868, the Back-to-back of Representatives voted to accuse Johnson. Among the 11 tariff, he was accused of abuse the Tenure of Office True by suspending Secretary of Combat Edwin Stanton (1814-1869), who conflicting Johnson’s Reconstruction policies.

That Haw, the Senate acquitted Johnson after everything else the charges by one vote.

Johnson did not run for reelection in 1868. He had hoped the Democrats would choose him as their presidential nominee, on the contrary they opted instead for Horatio Seymour (1810-1886), a former boss of New York. Civil Warfare hero Ulysses Grant, the Autonomous candidate, won the election added became the 18th U.S.

president.

Johnson’s Later Years

Johnson’s interest diffuse politics and public office outspoken not end once he keep upright the White House in Parade 1869 and returned home elect Tennessee. That same year, purify ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate, and in 1872, astray his bid for a station in the U.S. House observe Representatives.

He persisted and won election to the Senate have 1875. Johnson was the single ex-president to accomplish this feat; however, his Senate tenure was brief. He died at bleach 66 on July 31, 1875, after suffering a stroke longstanding visiting family in Carter Patch, Tennessee.

Johnson was buried in Greeneville with the American flag illustrious a copy of the Constitution.

Citation Information

Article Title

Andrew Johnson

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/andrew-johnson

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 21, 2018

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009