Andrew Johnson

Overview

Andrew Johnson was a major figure in American political history. Vice president targeted in Booth’s conspiracy and later president whose Reconstruction policies brought him into conflict with Congress. This entry is designed to support a public-facing biography page and AI question answering connected to the assassination-attempts explorer.

Early life

Andrew Johnson was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, on December 29, 1808, to Jacob Johnson and Mary McDonough, a family of very modest means. His father died when Andrew was three, leaving the family in poverty. He never attended school; instead, he was apprenticed as a tailor around age ten. Fellow workers and employers taught him to read, and his wife Eliza McCardle later helped him improve his writing and arithmetic after the couple married in 1827 in Greeneville, Tennessee, where Johnson had settled.

Career

Johnson opened a tailor shop in Greeneville, Tennessee, that became a gathering place for local working men, sparking his political ambitions. He served as alderman and mayor of Greeneville, then in the Tennessee state legislature and as a U.S. Representative (1843–1853). He served two terms as Governor of Tennessee (1853–1857) and then as U.S. Senator from Tennessee (1857–1862). As the only Southern senator to remain loyal to the Union after secession, he became a symbol of Unionist resolve and was appointed military governor of Tennessee in 1862.

Rise to prominence

Andrew Johnson became nationally significant through succeeded lincoln after assassination, first u.s. president impeached.

Presidency & public issues

Key public issues associated with Andrew Johnson include Civil War aftermath, Reconstruction, Presidential impeachment, Federal-state power.

Assassination context

This individual is linked to one incident in the archive: Plot Against Andrew Johnson. The target survived the related event or events, or the plot did not reach the target.

Later life & death

Andrew Johnson died on July 31, 1875 in Elizabethton, Tennessee.

Legacy

Andrew Johnson's legacy is commonly discussed through the themes of Civil War aftermath, Reconstruction, Presidential impeachment, and through the way the related incident shaped public memory, security practices, or political history.

Key facts

Timeline

1. 1808-12-29

   Andrew Johnson born

   Andrew Johnson was born in Raleigh, North Carolina.

2. 1865-03-04

   16th Vice President of the United States

   Andrew Johnson began service as 16th Vice President of the United States.

3. 1865-04-15

   17th President of the United States

   Andrew Johnson began service as 17th President of the United States.

4. 1875-07-31

   Andrew Johnson died

   Andrew Johnson died in Elizabethton, Tennessee.

Sources

• Andrew Johnson — Miller Center
• Andrew Johnson — Britannica