The Rise of Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson, the 17th President of the United States, remains one of the most controversial figures in American history. Born into poverty in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1808, Johnson’s early life was marked by hardship. His father died when he was just three years old, leaving his family in dire financial straits. Unable to afford formal education, Johnson was apprenticed to a tailor as a young boy, where he learned a trade that would sustain him for years. Despite his lack of schooling, Johnson was determined to educate himself, often having others read to him while he worked. His humble beginnings shaped his political views, making him a fierce advocate for the common man, particularly poor white Southerners. Johnson’s political career began in Greeneville, Tennessee, where he worked as a tailor and eventually entered local politics. He served as an alderman, mayor, state legislator, U.S. congressman, governor of Tennessee, and U.S. senator, establishing himself as a staunch Democrat who opposed secession but supported states’ rights and slavery.
Johnson’s rise to national prominence came during the Civil War when he was the only Southern senator to remain loyal to the Union after Tennessee seceded. This unwavering loyalty earned him the admiration of President Abraham Lincoln, who appointed him military governor of Tennessee in 1862. Johnson’s tough stance against the Confederacy and his efforts to restore Union control in the state made him a natural choice as Lincoln’s running mate in the 1864 election. The Lincoln-Johnson ticket ran under the National Union Party banner, symbolizing unity between Northern Democrats and Republicans. However, Johnson’s presidency would be defined by conflict, as his lenient approach to Reconstruction clashed with the Radical Republicans in Congress, leading to his eventual impeachment—the first in U.S. history.
Andrew Johnson’s Presidency and the Challenges of Reconstruction
When Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in April 1865, Andrew Johnson assumed the presidency during one of the most tumultuous periods in American history. The Civil War had just ended, and the nation faced the daunting task of reintegrating the Southern states while addressing the rights of newly freed African Americans. Johnson, a Southern Democrat with deeply ingrained racist views, believed in a swift restoration of the Union with minimal federal intervention. His Reconstruction policies were markedly lenient toward former Confederates, allowing them to regain political power with few consequences. Johnson issued widespread pardons to ex-Confederate officials, vetoed legislation that sought to protect the rights of freed slaves, and opposed the Fourteenth Amendment, which granted citizenship to African Americans.
This approach infuriated Radical Republicans in Congress, who believed that the South should face stricter penalties and that freedmen should be granted full civil rights. The conflict between Johnson and Congress escalated rapidly, culminating in the passage of the Reconstruction Acts of 1867, which placed the Southern states under military rule and enforced black suffrage. Johnson’s persistent vetoes and public denunciations of Congress further alienated him from lawmakers, setting the stage for a constitutional crisis. The final breaking point came when Johnson violated the Tenure of Office Act by dismissing Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, a Radical Republican ally. This action led the House of Representatives to impeach Johnson in 1868, charging him with high crimes and misdemeanors. Although he narrowly avoided removal from office by one vote in the Senate, his presidency was effectively crippled, leaving a legacy of racial division and political strife.
Johnson’s Legacy: A Divisive Figure in American History
Andrew Johnson’s presidency is often regarded as a failure, primarily due to his obstructionist policies during Reconstruction. His refusal to support civil rights for African Americans allowed Southern states to enact Black Codes—laws designed to restrict the freedoms of former slaves and maintain white supremacy. These policies laid the groundwork for the Jim Crow era, perpetuating racial segregation and disenfranchisement for nearly a century. Historians have criticized Johnson for his stubbornness, racism, and inability to compromise, which prolonged the nation’s healing process after the Civil War.
Despite his flaws, Johnson’s life story remains a testament to the American ideal of upward mobility. From a poor tailor’s apprentice to the highest office in the land, his journey was remarkable. However, his legacy is forever tarnished by his resistance to racial equality and his adversarial relationship with Congress. In the decades following his presidency, Johnson’s reputation has undergone reassessment, with some scholars acknowledging his strict constitutionalism while others condemn his regressive racial policies. Today, he is remembered as a president who failed to unite a fractured nation, leaving behind a complicated and contentious historical legacy.
