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Andrew Johnson 17th President of the United States
Born: December 29, 1808
Raleigh, North Carolina
Died: July 31, 1875
Carter's Station, Tennessee
Party: Democrat and National Unionist
Occupation: Tailor, Public Official
Married: Eliza McCardle, they had 5 children

EARLY YEARS

Andrew was born to Jacob Johnson and Mary (McDonough) Johnson in a small log cabin, 1808. When Andrew was 3 years old his father died and left the family destitute. His mother apprenticed him to a tailor when he was 14, but he ran away from the indentured servant position with his brother when he was 16.

He settled in Greeneville, Tennessee and opened his own tailor business, which became very successful. Andrew had no formal education and taught himself how to read and spell, barely. He married Eliza McCardle when he was 19 and she taught him math, writing and how to actually read.

POLITICAL YEARS

In 1834, Johnson began his ascent up the ladder of success within the political world. He first served as a town councilman in Greeneville and then mayor of the town. Johnson was well liked by the common folk and he was elected to the state legislature, U.S. House of Representatives and then Governor of Tennessee. He was serving his first term as a U.S. Senator from Tennessee when the Civil War began.

He was placed on the 1864 ballot as the Vice-President Candidate with Abraham Lincoln because he was a major war Democrat and a pro-Union southerner. Lincoln like him and respected the way he had governed Tennessee during the early years of the Civil War. They ran under the new party named the National Union Party. He and Lincoln won the election ad were inaugurated March of 1865.

April 14, 1865 the President was shot at Ford's Theater. Conspirators were supposed to assassinate Secretary of State William Seward and Vice-President Andrew Johnson also. Seward was shot, but survived and the man who was to kill Johnson got cold feet and never showed. The President died April 15, 1865 and Andrew Johnson was sworn in as the 17th President of the United States that day.

HIS LEGACY

Andrew Johnson is not viewed by historians or history as the right man to be President at the end of the Civil War. He had many personal issues that prevented him from being an effective administrator or leader. His horrible incompetence at leading the nation to a just and healing peace left him to be viewed as one of the worst Presidents in the history of the country.

He was called a pompous "dictatorial racist" (Miller Institute) who would

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