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Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808 – July 31, 1875) was an American politician who served as the 17th president of the United States from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, as he was vice president at that time.
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- Who Was Andrew Johnson?
- Early Life
- Foray Into Politics
- U.S. Congressman and Tennessee Governor
- The Lincoln Administration
- Presidency and Impeachment
- Later Years and Legacy
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Andrew Johnson became the 17th president of the United States upon the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in April 1865. His lenient Reconstruction policies toward the South, and his vetoing of Reconstruction acts, embittered the Radical Republicans in Congress and led to his political downfall and impeachment, though he was acquitted.
Johnson was born in a log cabin in Raleigh, North Carolina, on December 29, 1808. His father, Jacob, died when Johnson was 3, leaving the family in poverty. His mother, Mary "Polly" McDonough Johnson, worked as a seamstress to make ends meet. She and her second husband apprenticed Johnson and his brother, William, to a local tailor. As a young boy,...
Johnson took a strong interest in politics, and his tailor shop became a haven for political discussion. He gained the support of the local working class and became their strong advocate. He was elected alderman in 1829, and was elected mayor of Greeneville five years later. After the 1831 Nat TurnerRebellion, Tennessee adopted a new state constitu...
In 1843, Johnson became the first Democrat from Tennessee to be elected to the United States Congress. He joined a new Democratic majority in the House of Representatives, declaring that slavery was essential to the preservation of the Union. This was a slight departure from his fellow Southerners, who were beginning to speak of separation if slave...
After Abraham Lincoln's election in 1860, Tennessee seceded from the Union. Johnson broke with his home state and became the only Southern senator to retain his seat in the U.S. Senate. He was vilified in the South. His property was confiscated, and his wife and two daughters were driven out of Tennessee. However, his pro-Union passion did not go u...
On the night of April 14, 1865, while spending an evening at Ford's Theater, in Washington, D.C., President Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth, and he died the next morning. Johnson was also a target on that fateful night, but his would-be assassin failed to show up. Three hours after Lincoln died, Johnson was sworn in as the 17th president of t...
Johnson finished his term maintaining his opposition to Reconstruction and continuing his self-imposed role as protector of the white race. After leaving the White House, he took advantage of his excellent oratory skills and went on the speaking circuit. In 1874, he won election to the U.S. Senate for a second time. In his first speech after return...
Learn about the life and presidency of Andrew Johnson, the 17th U.S. president who succeeded Abraham Lincoln and was impeached by Congress. Explore his controversial policies on Reconstruction, civil rights and states' rights.
May 9, 2024 · Andrew Johnson (born December 29, 1808, Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.—died July 31, 1875, near Carter Station, Tennessee) was the 17th president of the United States (1865–69), who took office upon the assassination of Pres. Abraham Lincoln during the closing months of the American Civil War (1861–65).
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- When did Andrew Johnson become president of the United States?Andrew Johnson became the 17th president of the United States in 1865. He took office after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
- Why did Andrew Johnson veto the Reconstruction Acts?Andrew Johnson vetoed the Reconstruction Acts that provided suffrage for male freedmen and military administration of the Southern states. He maint...
- Why was Andrew Johnson impeached?Andrew Johnson dismissed from office Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton to provide a court test of the Tenure of Office Act’s constitutionality. For...
- Who was Andrew Johnson's wife?Eliza McCardle was Andrew Johnson's wife. They married in 1827.
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- Andrew Johnson’s Early Years. Andrew Johnson was born on December 29, 1808, in a log cabin in Raleigh, North Carolina. His father, Jacob Johnson (1778-1812), was a porter at an inn, among other jobs, and died when Andrew was 3, while his mother, Mary “Polly” McDonough Johnson (1783-1856), was a laundress and seamstress.
- Johnson Enters Politics in Tennessee. Johnson’s political career began in 1829 when he was elected alderman in Greeneville. That same year, Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), a fellow Democrat and Tennessean, became the seventh U.S. president.
- Andrew Johnson and the Civil War. Lincoln was inaugurated on March 4, 1861, and just over a month later, on April 12, the U.S. Civil War broke out when Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina.
- Johnson’s Brief Tenure as Vice President. When Lincoln sought re-election in 1864, he chose Johnson as his running mate over Vice President Hannibal Hamlin (1809-91), a former U.S. senator from Maine.
The presidency of Andrew Johnson began on April 15, 1865, when Andrew Johnson became President of the United States upon the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, and ended on March 4, 1869. He had been Vice President of the United States for only six weeks when he succeeded to the presidency.
Learn about the life and presidency of Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Abraham Lincoln after his assassination in 1865. Find out how he faced the challenges of Reconstruction, the Radical Republicans, and impeachment.
Andrew Johnson - Reconstruction, Impeachment, Legacy: To broaden the base of the Republican Party to include loyal “war” Democrats, Johnson was selected to run for vice president on Lincoln’s reelection ticket of 1864. His first appearance on the national stage was a fiasco.
