Johnson, Andrew

17th president, 1865–1869

Born: December 29, 1808

Died: July 31, 1875

Vice President: none

First Lady: Eliza McCardle Johnson

Children: Martha, Charles, Mary, Robert, Andrew

Andrew Johnson became the 17th president of the United States when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Johnson had been named Lincoln's vice president in 1864. Because he took office upon Lincoln's death, he did not give an Inaugural Address.

Johnson was born in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1808. His family was poor, and he worked as an apprentice in a tailor's shop at a young age. He moved to Greeneville, Tennessee, as a teenager and opened his own shop. By age 21, he was well-off and able to devote time to public service. He became mayor of his town, and later a congressman. At age 49, he became a U.S. senator, and was the military governor of Tennessee in the Civil War.

Johnson was married to Eliza McCardle and the couple had five children: Martha, Charles, Mary, Robert, and Andrew.

• Johnson was the first president to be impeached.
• Johnson was sworn in as president on the day Lincoln died.
• Abraham Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth, conspired to have Johnson killed as well. The plot failed when Johnson's intended assassin spent the night drinking instead.
• Many in Congress thought Johnson was too easy on the South after the Civil War.

During his presidency, Johnson tried to follow the beliefs set down by Lincoln and worked to bring Southern states back into the Union without undue punishment. During this era, known as Reconstruction, Johnson faced numerous disagreements with Congress over his policies. An unrepentant racist, he opposed suffrage for blacks and supported the Southern black codes designed to oppress African Americans as much as slavery had. In 1868, the House of Representatives voted to impeach him. He was tried in the Senate, the first impeachment in U.S. history. Johnson was cleared of the charges by only one vote. Johnson tried unsuccessfully for his party's nomination in 1868. In 1874, he regained his position as a Tennessee senator. He died on July 31, 1875.

When Johnson Was in Office

1865

The 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery, was ratified.
Lewis Carroll published Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

1866

Congress approved a new coin, nicknamed the "nickel."
The first successful transatlantic telegraph cable linked the United States and Britain.

1867

The United State purchased Alaska from Russia.
Nebraska became a state.
The first practical typewriter was invented.
Jesse Chisholm mapped the Chisholm cattle trail from Texas to destinations in Kansas.

1868

The 14th Amendment, guaranteeing citizenship to former slaves, was ratified.
Congress mandated an 8-hour workday for federal employees.