PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Andrew Johnson was born on December 29, 1808 in Raleigh, NC. He died on July 31, 1875.
His father, Jacob Johnson, died when Andrew was 3 years old. His mother, Mary Johnson, worked as a seamstress. Johnson established a very successful tailoring business.
Johnson married Eliza Johnson in 1827. They had 5 children together: Martha, Robert, Charles, Mary, and Andrew Jr.
He took a strong interest in politics. He was elected alderman in 1829, and was elected mayor of Greeneville five years later.
After the 1831 Nat Turner Rebellion, Tennessee adopted a new state constitution with a provision to disenfranchise free blacks. Johnson supported the provision and campaigned around the state for its ratification, giving him wide exposure.
In 1835, Johnson won a seat in the Tennessee state legislature. He was with the Democratic policies of Andrew Jackson. He was also a strong anti-abolitionist and a promoter of states' rights, while still being an unqualified supporter of the Union.
In 1843, he became the first Democrat from Tennessee to be elected to the United States Congress. In 1853, he was elected governor of Tennessee.
In 1856, Johnson almost ran for president but he felt like he didn't have enough national exposure. Instead he ran for U.S. Senate. As senator he introduced the Homestead act.
On April 14, 1865 Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. Johnson was also a target but his would-be assassin failed to show up. Three hours after Lincoln died, Andrew Johnson was sworn in as the 17th president of the United States.
Cabinet:
Secretary of State:
William H. Seward (1865-69)
Secretary of the Treasury:
Hugh McCulloch (1865-69)
Secretary of War:
Edwin M. Stanton (1865-68)
John M. Schofield (1868-69)
Attorney General:
James Speed (1865-66)
Henry Stanbery (1866-68)
William M. Evarts (1868-69)
Postmaster General:
William Dennison (1865-66)
Alexander W. Randall (1866-69)
Secretary of the Navy:
Gideon Welles (1865-69)
Secretary of the Interior:
John P. Usher (1865)
James Harlan (1865-66)
Orville Browning (1866-69)
He was the First President to be impeached.
