by Pam Uher

Created on: April 14, 2008   Last Updated: April 26, 2011

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, on the freezing day of December 29 in the year,1808. When Andrew was 3 years old his father died and left the family destitute. Eventually, his mother apprenticed him to a tailor when he was barely 14 years old. When he turned 16, he ran away from the indentured servant position with his brother .

Once free from the "servant status" and after trying several different types of jobs, 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, which he was barely competent at. He married Eliza McCardle at age19 and she became his 'guardians angel'. She taught him math, writing and how to actually read.

THE 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 as 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 ultimately he became Governor of Tennessee. He was serving his first term as a U.S. Senator from Tennessee when the Civil War began.

Andrew Johnson 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 liked him and respected the way he had governed Tennessee during the years leading into the Civil War. They ran under the new party named the National Union Party and won the election. In the blustery month of March in1865 the Illinois rail-splitter lawyer and the transplanted Tailor Tennessean were sworn in as the new American leaders of a nation split down the middle and ready for civil war.

On April 14, 1865 President Lincoln  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.  President Lincoln died April 15, 1865 and Andrew Johnson was

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