Andrew Johnson Notes

Andrew Johnson's early life was marked by poverty and limited education.
- His father died when he was three years old, leaving the family penniless.
- His wife taught him how to read and write when he was in his early twenties.
He started as a tailor and owned a tailor shop which became a place for political discussion for everyday people.
- The shop provided a space for common people, the "domen," to discuss politics.
- Johnson advocated for public schools, public libraries, and state fairs, aiming to uplift the working class.
Johnson's political career was remarkably successful until his presidency, never losing an election.
- He climbed from town alderman to Vice President.

In 1864, Abraham Lincoln chose Andrew Johnson as his running mate to balance the ticket during the Civil War.
- Johnson was a Union-supporting Southern Democrat, a rare political alignment.

On the day of Lincoln's second inaugural address, Johnson was inebriated and gave a rambling, drunken speech.
- He criticized ambassadors and elites in a state of rage.

After Lincoln's assassination, Johnson became president during a tumultuous period in American history.
- Many Northern churches saw his ascension as divine intervention, believing he was the right man for the job.

Johnson faced the immense challenge of healing a nation torn apart by civil war.
- Over 600,000 people had died in the four-year war.
- There were 4 million freed slaves in a country of 30 million people.

Johnson favored a lenient approach towards the postwar South, advocating for states to decide the fate of freed slaves.
Radical Republicans in Congress sought to punish secessionists and ensure civil and voting rights for freedmen.
- This ideological clash led to a significant conflict between the President and Congress.
Johnson publicly attacked Congress, further escalating the conflict.
- In his Washington Birthday speech in 1866, he declared he would not be bullied by his enemies.
Johnson was described as thin-skinned, taking criticism personally and holding grudges.
- He would become petulant and unwilling to listen to opposing views.

Despite appeals from abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass, Johnson vetoed bills aimed at helping former slaves.
- Congress overrode these vetoes, intensifying the conflict.
Johnson was eventually impeached by the House of Representatives.
He narrowly avoided removal from office by a single vote in the Senate.
Tickets to his impeachment trial are considered valuable historical artifacts.

Johnson's presidency is generally considered unsuccessful.
Some historians argue that anyone would have struggled in that challenging period.
Lincoln's political skills might have made the situation somewhat easier, but even he would have faced difficulties.
His portrait is in a corner at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, under the figurative shadow cast by Lincoln.