Presidential Resources Online
Andrew Johnson 1865 - 1869
Vice President Andrew Johnson
became president of the United States following the assassination of Abraham
Lincoln in 1865. Johnson is perhaps best remembered for the impeachment
trial in which he defended the sovereignty of the Chief Executive and avoided
conviction.
Johnson was born in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1808 and moved
to Greeneville, Tennessee, in 1826 where he eventually established himself as a
tailor. Denied formal schooling, Johnson eagerly pursued an education on
his own. In time he became a well-known and respected citizen in his
community as well as a powerful and persuasive speaker. He launched
his political career as an alderman in Greeneville and later served as mayor,
state representative, U.S. senator and two-term governor of Tennessee.
A Jacksonian Democrat, Johnson was among the few southern
senators to remain in their seats after 1861. The North welcomed him as a
powerful ally, and in 1862, Lincoln appointed him military governor of Tennessee
and in 1864 selected him as running mate on the National Union ticket.
As president, Johnson announced that he would continue the
policies of Lincoln. Focusing his attention upon the restoration of the
former Confederate states to the Union, Johnson established provisional
governments in seven of those states and proclaimed general amnesty and pardon
to ex-Rebels. Later, however, the Republican leadership in Congress
rejected his approach and instead embarked on its own program of Reconstruction.
This conflict set the legislative and executive branches of
the national government on a collision course that culminated in 1868 with the
impeachment of Johnson. By a margin of one vote, the Senate refused to
convict Johnson, and thus he successfully defended his belief in a
constitutional separation of the three branches of government. Elected to
the U.S. Senate in 1875, Andrew Johnson is still the only ex-president to
achieve such recognition.
Online Andrew Johnson Resources:
Andrew
Johnson's Impeachment Ordeal - Discusses the history of the Johnson
impeachment its political significance.
Andrew Johnson,
Impeachment, and President Clinton - Compares the Johnson impeachment with
the recent impeachment of Bill Clinton.
Andrew Johnson National Historic
Site - Home page of the Andrew Johnson Historic Site, which is located in
Greenville, Tennessee.
Impeachment of Andrew
Johnson, The - An excellent examination of the Johnson impeachment drawn
largely from the Harper's Weekly coverage of the event in 1868. This site
contains a wealth of information on the events, important figures, and
historical significance of the impeachment.
Impeachment
Trial of Andrew Johnson - A good resource for researching the Johnson
impeachment, this site contains the trial records, a chronology of events, and
much more information.
Impeachment Trial
of President Andrew Johnson - An account of the impeachment written by Chief
Justice Salmon P. Chase, who presided over the trial.
North
Carolina Encyclopedia: Andrew Johnson - This is a short essay which
discusses the personal and professional life of Andrew Johnson.
President Andrew
Johnson as a Hero - A flattering essay about Johnson's career.
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