Andrew Johnson, born in Raleigh, North Carolina, grew up in an economically disadvantaged family with illiterate parents. His father died of a heart attack when he was just a toddler, and his mother, Mary McDonough, was 25. He married Eliza McCardle on May 17, 1808.
Johnson was of English, Scots-Irish, and Scottish ancestry and was apprenticed to a tailor as a boy. He ran away from the family and opened a tailor shop in Greeneville, Tennessee, where he met and married Eliza McCardle. The couple raised five children together, with Eliza being the widow of a local weaver and spinner.
During the Civil War, Daniel took part in bridge burning activities. His widowed mother worked as a weaver and a spinner to feed Andrew and his older brother William. She married Turner Daugherty when Andrew was still a boy. As an adult, he opened a tailor shop in Greeneville, Tennessee, where he met and married Eliza McCardle. The couple raised five children together, and Eliza’s widowed daughter, Mary, preceded the others home to establish the household.
Johnson opened a tailor shop in Greeneville, Tennessee, married Eliza McCardle, and participated in debates at the local academy. He was the younger of two sons of Jacob and Mary McDonough Johnson. In 1811, his father saved some of Andrew Johnson’s family members from drowning, but the effort weakened him irrevocably.
Johnson’s family consisted of his parents, Jacob Johnson and Mary McDonough Johnson, an elder brother named William, and elder sister Elizabeth. They had three children, Lillie, Sarah, and Andrew Johnson Stover.
In summary, Andrew Johnson’s life in the White House was filled with constant visitors and activity. His family faced financial struggles, but he managed to establish a successful tailor shop and participate in debates at the local academy.
| Article | Description | Site |
|---|---|---|
| Andrew Johnson: Family Life | Johnson asked his two daughters, Martha and Mary, a widow, to live in the White House and serve as official hostesses. They brought their five children and … | millercenter.org |
| Andrew Johnson’s Family | The couple had three children, Lillie, Sarah, and Andrew Johnson Stover. During the Civil War, Daniel took part in bridge burning activities. | nps.gov |
| Andrew Johnson: Life Before the Presidency | His widowed mother worked as a weaver and a spinner to feed Andrew and his older brother William. She married Turner Daugherty when Andrew was still a boy, … | millercenter.org |
📹 Andrew Johnson: The impeached president
Raised in poverty, uneducated, a working class figure whose political ethos was “my way or the highway,” Andrew Johnson’s …
Where Was Andrew Johnson Born?
Andrew Johnson was born on December 29, 1808, in Raleigh, North Carolina, to Jacob Johnson and Mary ("Polly") McDonough. He was the youngest of three children, having an older brother, William, and sister Elizabeth. Johnson's father died when he was just three years old, which plunged the family into poverty. At a young age, Johnson was apprenticed to a tailor but soon ran away to escape the indentured life. He eventually opened his own tailor shop in Greeneville, Tennessee, where he established his adult life.
Johnson's early education was limited, and he did not master reading, writing, or arithmetic until he met his wife. Despite his humble beginnings, he became a significant political figure, serving as the 17th President of the United States. A Southern Democrat, he supported the Union during the Civil War and sought to balance the ticket in Abraham Lincoln's 1864 reelection. Johnson's presidency was marked by his opposition to Radical Reconstruction, which shaped his legacy in both negative and positive lights. He died on July 31, 1875, near Carter Station, Tennessee. Johnson’s life journey is often characterized by the label "courageous commoner."
When Did Andrew Johnson Die?
Andrew Johnson was born on December 29, 1808, in Raleigh, North Carolina, to Jacob and Mary McDonough Johnson. His father, Jacob, was a respected man of limited means who died when Andrew was just three years old. Johnson served as the 17th president of the United States from 1865 to 1869, stepping into the role following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. His presidency was marked by controversies, including a tumultuous reconstruction era, which ultimately led to his impeachment in 1868 due to violations of the Tenure of Office Act. He narrowly escaped conviction by one vote.
Despite the challenges he faced, Johnson returned to public office in 1875 when he was elected to the Senate by Tennessee. Tragically, he suffered a stroke and passed away on July 31, 1875, at his daughter’s home in Carter Station, Tennessee. He was interred in Greeneville, Tennessee, with a copy of the Constitution and wrapped in the American flag. Johnson's early life was shaped by hardship, and throughout his political career, he faced significant opposition and scrutiny, yet he remained a significant figure in American history until his death at age 66.
What Was Andrew Johnson First Lady?
Eliza McCardle Johnson (October 4, 1810 – January 15, 1876) served as First Lady of the United States from 1865 to 1869 as the wife of President Andrew Johnson, the 17th president. She was born in Greeneville, Tennessee, and married Andrew Johnson, a tailor, on May 17, 1827, when she was just sixteen. Throughout her life, Eliza played a significant role in supporting her husband's political career, significantly contributing to his literacy and oratory skills. Prior to his presidency, she served as Second Lady during Andrew's vice-presidency.
Eliza moved with her family, including freed servants, to the White House after Andrew succeeded President Abraham Lincoln following Lincoln's assassination in 1865. Although Eliza battled tuberculosis, she managed the White House's social duties, often delegating responsibilities due to her health. She was a key influence behind the scenes, shaping the agenda of both her husband and their family.
The couple met in 1826, when Andrew first came to Greeneville seeking work. Their partnership was characterized by mutual support, and Eliza's impact on her husband's successes has been widely acknowledged. Despite her struggles with illness, she remained a vital presence during her husband's tumultuous presidency, which spanned from April 15, 1865, to March 4, 1869. Eliza McCardle Johnson passed away on January 15, 1876.
Did Andrew Johnson Have Children With His Slaves?
Since the late 20th century, historians have speculated that Andrew Johnson might have fathered two, if not all three, of Dolly Johnson's children. Dolly was enslaved by Johnson from 1843 to 1863. Speculation also surrounds other individuals enslaved by Johnson, such as Sam Johnson's wife, Margaret, and their children—Dora, Robert, and Hattie—though documentation is limited. While living in Nashville, Johnson stated in a speech that his slaves were "confiscated" during the war.
Ten of the first twelve U. S. presidents owned slaves, and although no DNA evidence confirms Johnson fathered children with Dolly, circumstantial evidence exists. Johnson, born on December 29, 1808, into a struggling household in Raleigh, faced numerous challenges throughout his life, especially after his father's death at an early age. He owned eight slaves himself and, despite accepting slavery, considered secession unconstitutional. Johnson freed his slaves on August 8, 1863, and they continued to work for him as paid servants.
The Pattersons, his two children from marriage, joined the family during the Civil War. Ultimately, Johnson's relationship with his former slaves, including his perceived "fatherly" behavior toward Dolly's children, has sparked ongoing historical discussions regarding the nature of his actions and beliefs about slavery and race.
How Many Children Did Andrew Johnson Have?
Andrew Johnson, the 17th President of the United States, married Eliza McCardle in 1827 when he was 18 and she was 16. The couple had five children: Martha, Charles, Mary, Robert, and Andrew Jr. Tragically, their family experienced significant loss; Robert committed suicide in his youth, and Charles died in 1863 from a horse accident. Andrew Johnson passed away at 66 due to a stroke and was buried in Greeneville, Tennessee.
Throughout their nearly 50-year marriage, the Johnsons raised their children in a challenging political landscape. Eliza, being close with her husband, played an important role in his political life. During his presidency, Johnson invited his daughters, Martha and Mary, to serve as official hostesses at the White House.
The family's history includes great sorrow alongside their public lives, marked notably by their tragic losses. Overall, Andrew and Eliza Johnson had a complex family life intertwined with the broader narrative of U. S. history, raising their children amidst personal tragedies and significant national events.
What Was Andrew Johnson'S Family Like?
Andrew Johnson was born on December 29, 1808, in Raleigh, North Carolina, to Jacob Johnson and Mary ("Polly") McDonough. His father, a hotel porter and bank janitor, died when Andrew was just three years old while trying to save two of his employers from drowning. Left in poverty, his widowed mother worked as a weaver and spinner to support Andrew and his older brother, William. Due to financial constraints, Andrew received little formal education, and his mother arranged for him to become an apprentice tailor. Eventually, the family relocated to Greeneville, Tennessee, where Andrew opened his own tailor shop and met his future wife, Eliza McCardle, who helped educate him.
Andrew's immediate family, including his siblings William and Elizabeth, significantly influenced his resilient character. During his presidency, his daughters Martha and Mary served as official hostesses due to Eliza's ill health. The Johnson household, which eventually included their children, faced numerous challenges, yet they maintained their southern heritage, including ownership of enslaved individuals. Andrew Johnson's life narrative showcases his humble beginnings, the impact of family, and personal perseverance despite formidable obstacles throughout his early life and presidency.
Which President Did No Child Left Behind?
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), signed into law by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002, was a significant reform of U. S. education policy aimed at improving public primary and secondary schools. It reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and specifically addressed the needs of disadvantaged students through Title I provisions. This bipartisan legislation sought to enhance accountability in education and aimed to boost student performance across the country.
However, the act faced criticism over time, leading to the Obama administration's proposal in March 2010 for a reform blueprint to update the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, succeeding NCLB. The revisions aimed to allow states to use a wider variety of assessments to evaluate advanced academic skills, including research and technology use. Despite its intentions, the NCLB was viewed as unpopular in certain circles and required change, culminating in the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act.
Overall, the NCLB marked a transformative shift in federal education policy, emphasizing the need for equitable education access and support for all students, particularly African American and Hispanic populations, demonstrating the varying impacts of federal educational initiatives on diverse student backgrounds.
Was Andrew Johnson A Good Politician?
Andrew Johnson, born on December 29, 1808, in Raleigh, North Carolina, served as the 17th president of the United States from 1865 to 1869 after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. He was an honest politician and a patriot, originally a Democrat who admired President Andrew Jackson. Johnson's presidency is often criticized; he is seen as a rigid and dictatorial figure unable to accept political realities contrary to his own beliefs. He was the first U.
S. president to be impeached, and historians frequently rank him among the worst presidents in American history due to his strong opposition to federally guaranteed rights for Black Americans and his inflexibility in dealing with the political challenges of Reconstruction.
Upon assuming office, Johnson attempted to carry out what he viewed as Lincoln's policies for a lenient reconstruction of the South. However, his approach led to severe conflicts with Radical Republicans, who sought stronger protections for freed slaves and more stringent measures for the Southern states. As a result, Johnson's non-compromising stance contributed to his unpopularity and ineffectiveness as a leader at a critical juncture in U. S.
history. Despite his honest intentions, his presidency is marred by many fundamental mistakes, ultimately leading to a legacy of unfavorable assessments by historians. He died on July 31, 1875, leaving behind a complex and controversial political legacy.
Which President Had 15 Children By 2 Wives?
John Tyler, the 10th president of the United States (1841-1845), is known for fathering the most children of any U. S. president, with a total of 15 across two marriages. He wed Letitia Christian in 1813, and together they had eight children. After Letitia's death in 1842, Tyler married Julia Gardiner, with whom he had seven additional children. His first child, Mary, was born in 1815, when he was 25, while his youngest, Pearl, arrived in 1860, making him 70 at the time.
Tyler's children included future doctors, lawyers, and Civil War soldiers, although several of them tragically did not survive into adulthood. His legacy of progeny remains noteworthy, and he holds the record in White House history for the most children born to a sitting president. Furthermore, his lineage continued with grandchildren born in the 1920s. Tyler's family life spanned all stages of his adult years, with his children being born from his mid-20s to his late 60s.
The family dynamic and the sheer number of his children contributed to a complex personal legacy, including allegations that he fathered additional children with enslaved individuals. John Tyler's significant offspring underscored his historical impact, both as a president and as a prolific father.
📹 10 Andrew Johnson Facts
Here are ten facts bits of trivia about Andrew Johnson – Lincoln’s successor, the Reconstruction president and one of the most …
1:10 the idea that a “Union-supporting Southern Democrat was not supposed to exist” would come as quite a surprise to the Texas Hill Country, Searcy County Arkansas, Winston County Alabama, the Free State of Jones in Mississippi, the hills of northwest Georgia and Johnson’s own back yard which tried to secede from Tennessee the way West Virginia did (Scott County Tennessee was only readmitted to the state in 1986), ALL of which were bastions of Union support which considered the CSA secession to be illegal. All this does is propagate the myth that “the South” — rather than aristocratic élite elements IN the South — started the Civil War, as if “the South” was somehow “unified” in the quest. It’s true that “Democrats” effectively didn’t exist since the Confederacy had no political parties but the rest of the description was in no way unusual ESPECIALLY in east Tennessee. The aforementioned Scott County voted 95% against secession in its referendum and then proceeded to secede from the state. So Union-supporting Southerners, Democrats or not, certainly did exist and made considerable noise.
” I don’t know who could’ve been more successful at that time. I don’t think it would’ve been any more smooth sailing for Lincoln”…Well, let’s see here. If Andrew Johnson had not vetoed half of the bills sent by Congress that would’ve helped the newly freed slaves, perhaps he would’ve had a much easier time and more successful presidency 🤷♂️
I visited the Johnson Historic Site in Greenville, TN. I had studied him in high school and always felt for the man. As they said at the end of this article, he had been put into a very difficult situation and it would have been difficult for anyone to have been able to do the job well. Even JFK spoke of his admiration for Johnson in the book, “President Kennedy Selects Six Brave Presidents.”
Which is the worse: WOODROW WILLSON!!! CBS would never make a show about that topic, but Woodrow Wilson was one of the worse. Andrew Johnson, on the other hand, simply was not radical enough, but keep in mind who he was. He was a DEMOCRAT (Unionist). He was the only one of his party that sided with the North and the Republicans. Think of it like this. Imagine a Democrat who hated Donald J Trump, and sided with the Republicans and Donald Trump in particular. Would the Democrats or RINO Republicans love that person? Nope, would they most likely demonize and hate that person. Yup they sure would. That is how the Radical Republicans felt about Andrew Johnson, though he rejected the Democrat Party support for the Civil War.
I’ve pondered this man for many a year, having visited the historic sites in Greeneville on 2 occasions, about 30 years apart. While in the museum, a very good one on the era, visitors can vote as to whether or not they believe he was guilty of the impeachment charges, and therefore be removed from office. Both times, I voted “Not Guilty”. Even 30 years couldn’t change my mind on this. As for his Reconstruction policies, Johnson today is viewed as a blatant racist. The term didn’t mean then what it’s come to mean in our time. While the man had no particular affection for the black race, and felt that it was, unfortunately, inferior to the white, his reason for vetoing so many of the Congressional bills to aid African-Americans(a term not used then or for many generations thereafter), was based on his strong, unbreakable constitutional principles re: powers of an overreaching federal government. He felt these matters rightfully belonged under the jurisdiction of the states. I believe most, if not all, of these vetoes were overturned by the Congress. I think the former tailor wanted to be fair to blacks, he just didn’t want the federal government imposing its will. After all, he likely reasoned, the individual states knew what was best for the populations within their borders. Of course, we now can see with the passage of history, that as soon as federal troops withdrew from the south, and the states regained their authority(after meeting the requirements for re-joining the Union), the horrors of segregation and Jim Crow rapidly set in.
“Wouldn’t have been smooth sailing for President Lincoln” with due respect to the park ranger if Lincoln would have deservedly been able to fully see Reconstruction to it’s full realization we would be a different country to this day. Johnson purposely ruined reconstruction and put retributive policies in place instead. Lincoln was very clear that GRACE and reconciliation needed to reign in the reconstruction policies. Rebuild the country in body, mind and soul. The Civil war was a tragic and bloody mistake. Lincoln was the voice of reason that should have been allowed to see us through the aftermath. When we lost him we lost our anchor and our nations conscience. Oh Captain, My Captain.” Look up Whitman if you don’t get it.
This article overlooks the most bizarre incident concerning the impeachment. The night before the May 1868 vote in Andrew Johnson’s Senate trial, a twenty-year-old girl named Lavinia “Vinnie” Ream–the celebrated artist and coquettish society sensation who at the age of 18 was awarded the Congressional commission to sculpt the statue of Lincoln now standing in the Capitol rotunda–used her talents to foil the purpose of a midnight caller to her father’s Capitol Hill residence: to secure the deciding vote for conviction from Republican Senator Edmund Ross, a resident in that house. The visitor was Daniel Sickles–litigious Manhattanite real estate speculator, notorious lady’s man, ex-Congressman, acquitted killer of his wife’s lover, former Civil War general, recently-sacked military governor of the Carolinas, future lover of the Spanish Queen, and as of 1868 the most notorious and formidable political hatchet man in 19th-Century Washington. Acting under the assumption that Ross was “hopelessly infatuated” with pro-Johnson Vinnie and willing to do her bidding to acquit Johnson, Sickles showed up at midnight determined to overcome Vinnie’s opposition by using all the tools at his disposal: bribery, intimidation, or seduction. See here the details of how young Vinnie successfully thwarted Sickles–thereby saving President Andrew Johnson from impeachment in a article entitleld “The Devil vs. the Hummingbird”:: c-span.org/video/?456987-1/sculptor-vinnie-ream-daniel-sickles-andrew-johnsons-impeachment
Seems like most people tend to have a mythological view of Lincoln…..like some sort of larger than life folk hero. Which makes Johnson the anti-hero. I’ve actually taken the time to indepthly study Lincoln. I’ve read multiple biographies on the man. First, Lincoln was a manic depressive. He fought suicidal thoughts his entire life. 2nd, he was widely unpopular i the north for getting them involved in a idealogical war that he sold them as being for “union” but everyone knew what the real Republican reason was for going to war. As the death toll climbed (as William T. Sherman fortold would happen and was labeled as crazy) Lincoln’s popularity was wanning. Even be did not believe he could win reelection. The public sentiment was that strong against him and his war of folly that produced nothing decisive in the eastern front. Bobby Lee had the Union’s number. But with Sherman’s decisive win at Atlanta it showed that Lincoln was about to break the war open. He won in 1864 but it wasn’t a landslide. It was after his death that he became this larger than life folk hero…..no doubt, due to newspapers wanting to sell papers and people wanting to read about their great fallen president. We the same thing in the 20h century with Kennedy. For 30 years the popular sentiment was JFK was some sort of political messiah. While i’ll always defend him and his war record, be was still just a rich playboy who knew how to exist in the big boys club, and was a womanizer that constantly cheated on his wife.
Johnson’s racial views were loathsome, his pigheaded, purblind parochialism, his unwavering support for a quick political restoration of the same gaggle of traitors who had seceded, and his absolute indifference to the rampant murders, rapes, and other crimes of violence taking place against unionists, especially black unionists, all across the south, made him utterly unfit to lead the country through a fraught period in our history.
It’s a shame that Lincoln felt he had to balance the ticket and select a man who had no desire to punish those southern states that seceded. The fact is, the south needed to be punished and the newly freed slaves needed all of the help the federal government could muster. Reconstruction failed because republicans chose to end federal support of African Americans and allowed the southern states to resume their racist, bigoted ways. Lincoln may have wanted to take the high road with his “with malice toward none and charity for all” but he too would have faced extreme pressure from the radical republicans to advance the cause of the newly freed slaves and to punish those secessionists. It would have been fascinating to see how Lincoln would have handled Reconstruction and how much history would have been changed if he hadn’t been assassinated.
Growen-up I was a thinking AJ took the award, hands down. Along comes #45. This orange faced wild hair feller is now surpassing ol’ Andy in all areas of the contest. Of course Donny is wealthy. He can prepare himself for this distinction. Wealthy, so wealthy. He’ll tell you that. People tell him all the time Mr. Donny you are so rich, a beautiful rich man. He can buy coaches & teachers. Beautiful coaches & teachers, wonderful coaches & teachers, the best coaches & teachers. AJ was poor, struggled to make more of himself, immigrated to Greeneville, Tennessee coming over the Appalachian Mountains from North Carolina. Started a Taylor shop, a merchant. Poor working feller, middle class feller. Now I’m not a saying Donny cheats, (he does) however, he has an advantage in this here contest. This is a title Andy will gladly hand over to the blowhard.
Johnson gets a bad rap. He had a Congress very similar (similar in how they treated the President and members of the opposition. Their policies were polar opposites) to what Obama had in his second term. Congress saw Johnson as being subservient to them. He was impeached for doing exactly what Trump did several times. Johnson didn’t like Lincoln’s Sec of War so he fired him and appointed a new one. Congress said no and put the old one back in place. When Congress went into recess Johnson fired him again and named Grant “acting” Sec of War. After Johnson fired him the first time Congress passed a law saying he couldn’t fire cabinet members without their approval. He violated that law by firing him when they were in recess. That was his only “crime” even though they tacked on a dozen more. It’s sad that he came within one vote in the Senate from being removed from office simply because he wanted to change his cabinet. Johnson seriously gets a bad rap because he was a southern sympathizer after the war ( he was from the south and owned slaves) and a conservative and the Congress was overwhelmingly liberal and wanted the freed slaves to get established and stay protected. It’s quite funny how 2 Democrats were impeached pretty much for political reasons and the 2 Republicans committed actual crimes. The Republicans were playing dirty tricks that far back even though they were the liberal party then. One vote short of getting thrown out of office for doing what Trump did at least once a month.
Andrew Johnson does deserve some respect, in fact he had to bring the former rebel States back into the union as soon as possible, heal deep painful wounds, & rebuild a broken nation. Getting revenge against the former Confederates served no one, & it was not in the damaged nation’s interests to scape goat, disrespect, dishonor, nor demonize the rebels when every citizen was needed to do their parts to end the warfare, rebuild from the rubble, & heal the land.
Alaska purchased, French chased out of Mexico, etc. But most of all for many people, on May 8, 1865 Johnson pardoned all Union deserters and from that act my wife’s great grandmother drew a federal widow’s pension until her death in 1952. So pipe down about Johnson who was later elected to the US Senate from TN.
Impeachment has lost its glamour since Trump was impeached twice, and Clinton once. Now we might have another failed impeachment — it’s become a sad tennis match between political parties. You win, you get impeached. You lose, you get indicted. Johnson was the George Bush of his day — should never have been president. A tool. Hardly the worst. Trump gets my vote, but I may be prejudiced because I have to listen to his nonsense. Buchanan used to be the worst. So much bad to choose from.
Worst American Presidents: 1. Franklin D. Roosevelt 2. Woodrow Wilson 3. Lyndon Johnson 4. Barack Obama 5. George W. Bush 6. Jimmy Carter 7. Bill Clinton 8. Theodore Roosevelt 9. Herbert Hoover 10. Harry S. Truman 11. Andrew Jackson 12. Benjamin Harrison 13. Abraham Lincoln 14. James K. Polk 15. Martin Van Buren 16. Richard Nixon 17. George H. W. Bush 18. Ronald Reagan 19. John Adams 20. Donald Trump