History UsefulNotes / AndrewJohnson

Being a Southerner himself, Johnson wasn't willing to penalize his own region too harshly. As such, he disagreed ''a lot'' with the Republican-dominated Congress, opposing many of the Reconstruction bills (which were usually passed over his veto) and the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution (which he may have vetoed given the chance, but as he couldn't--constitutional amendments never pass over the president's desk--the point is moot). It didn't take long before he surpassed UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson's record for most presidential vetoes up to that point in history, and several members of his cabinet resigned in protest. Regarding civil rights for African Americans, Johnson infamously stated, [[ValuesDissonance "This is a country for white men, and by God, as long as I am President, it shall be a government for white men."]] Eventually, Congress passed the (blatantly unconstitutional) Tenure of Office Act, which stated that the President couldn't fire any of his appointees without congressional consent. [[BatmanGambit The Radical Republicans knew Johnson would see this as a challenge to his authority, and violate it just to see what happened.]] He did when he fired Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, a Radical Republican raising havoc in Johnson's cabinet, and tried to replace him with General Lorenzo Thomas. Congress then impeached Johnson, the first time in American history that the president was impeached. [[PassThePopcorn Also, they sold tickets to the trial.]] Like UsefulNotes/BillClinton's trial and both of UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump's trials, each more than a century later, the House voted to impeach him, but the Senate acquitted him (and this time, [[DecidedByOneVote only by a single vote]]). Johnson's lawyer pointed out that Lincoln made the appointment and, technically speaking, Johnson wouldn't have had to gain Congress' approval to fire him. Additionally, many of the senators argued that the nation had gone through enough lately and that such a major change in leadership wasn't necessary. There was also the case that, since there was no vice president (at the time, when a VP ascended to the presidency, no one was sent to replace him and so the position stayed vacant until the next election), the new president would be Benjamin Wade, the widely disliked president ''pro tempore'' of the Senate, who was so far ahead of his time (he supported voting rights for women, legal support for unions, and putting limits on capitalism, all political no-noes back then) that many felt he would have been even worse. Some cases of bribery and offers of patronage jobs to any Republicans who were prepared to acquit Johnson have also been reported.[[note]]For what it's worth, ''all'' the Republican senators who voted against convicting Johnson either retired or were removed from office -- this was back when state legislators rather than all voters in the state voted for senators -- when their terms were up.[[/note]] Finally, Johnson only had nine months left in his term anyway, and Ulysses S. Grant, who was openly supportive of the Radicals' agenda, had been nominated as the Republican presidential candidate at the forthcoming election -- which just about everybody could see he would win easily, regardless of whom the Democrats nominated -- and many in the party begrudgingly concluded that it'd be less complicated for all involved just to let Johnson serve the remainder of his term rather than deal with a short-lived Wade presidency.[[note]]Grant had also declined to pick Wade as his running mate, and many in the party were worried that if he became president following Johnson's removal, he might seek to hang on to the office as a third-party candidate.[[/note]]

Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808 – July 31, 1875) was the seventeenth president of the UsefulNotes/UnitedStates (serving from [[TheGildedAge 1865 to 1869]]), following UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln after his assassination, preceding UsefulNotes/UlyssesSGrant. He was the sixth president associated with the Democratic Party. Technically speaking, he governed while a member of the National Union Party (which replaced the Republicans during UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar), but historians generally count him as a Democrat. He never went to school, so he had to teach himself how to read and write; both his parents were manual laborers who never learned how to. Johnson, born in UsefulNotes/NorthCarolina, moved to neighboring UsefulNotes/{{Tennessee}} as a young man and became a congressman (serving in both houses at different points), and was the only senator from a seceding state to stay with the Union. He was also the governor of Tennessee at one point, and Lincoln later made him the state's military governor during the Civil War; while holding that position he ordered slavery abolished in Tennessee in October of 1864. Johnson himself, ironically, was a former slaveowner, and the last US President to own slaves at any point in his life. Johnson freed his personal slaves on August 8, 1863, and to commemorate that event, August 8 is officially celebrated as "Emancipation Day" in Tennessee.

Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808 – July 31, 1875) was the seventeenth president of the UsefulNotes/UnitedStates (serving from [[TheGildedAge 1865 to 1869]]), following UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln after his assassination, preceding UsefulNotes/UlyssesSGrant, and was the sixth from the Democratic Party. Technically speaking, he was elected from the National Union Party (which replaced the Republicans during UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar), but historians generally count him as a Democrat. He never went to school, so he had to teach himself how to read and write; both his parents were manual laborers who never learned how to. Johnson, born in UsefulNotes/NorthCarolina, moved to neighboring UsefulNotes/{{Tennessee}} as a young man and became a congressman (serving in both houses at different points), and was the only senator from a seceding state to stay with the Union. He was also the governor of Tennessee at one point, and Lincoln later made him the state's military governor during the Civil War; while holding that position he ordered slavery abolished in Tennessee in October of 1864. Johnson himself, ironically, was a former slaveowner, and the last US President to own slaves at any point in his life. Johnson freed his personal slaves on August 8, 1863, and to commemorate that event, August 8 is officially celebrated as "Emancipation Day" in Tennessee.

For the presidential election of 1864, Lincoln chose Johnson as his running mate for reelection because, as the only Southern senator left, he could broaden Lincoln's appeal in the slave states that didn't leave the Union. Johnson was expected only to help Lincoln get a few extra votes and serve a forgettable term as Vice President. Then UsefulNotes/JohnWilkesBooth shot Lincoln dead. This was part of his own conspiracy to save the South as Booth ordered one of his henchmen, George Atzerodt, a German immigrant and carriage repair shop owner, and Lewis Powell (Paine) to kill Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William Seward. At 10:15 pm, the same time Booth shot Lincoln during a production of ''Our American Cousin'' at Ford’s Theater, Atzerodt could not bring himself the courage to shoot Johnson at the Kirkwood Hotel, so he ended up getting drunk while Powell only managed to seriously disfigure Secretary Seward at his mansion, but the metal canvas splint saved Seward’s life. After being spared by his own assassination attempt by Atzerodt, Johnson became the 17th President of the United States after Lincoln passed away at the Petersen House. Three months after the assassinations of Lincoln and Booth, Johnson controversially permitted the execution of Atzerodt, Powell, David Herold, and boardinghouse keeper, Mary Surratt on July 7, 1865.

Being a Southerner himself, Johnson wasn't willing to penalize his own region too harshly. As such, he disagreed ''a lot'' with the Republican-dominated Congress, vetoing many of the Reconstruction bills (which were usually passed over his veto) and amendments (which he may or may not have vetoed given the chance, but as he didn't--constitutional amendments never pass over the president's desk--the point is moot). It didn't take long before he surpassed UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson's record for most presidential vetoes up to that point in history, and more than a few members of his Cabinet resigned in protest. Regarding civil rights for African Americans, Johnson infamously stated, [[ValuesDissonance "This is a country for white men, and by God, as long as I am President, it shall be a government for white men."]] Eventually, Congress passed the (blatantly unconstitutional) Tenure of Office Act, which stated that the President couldn't fire any of his appointees without Congressional consent. [[BatmanGambit The Radical Republicans knew Johnson would see this as a challenge to his authority, and violate it just to see what happened.]] He did when he fired Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, a Radical Republican raising havoc in Johnson's Cabinet, and tried to replace him with General Lorenzo Thomas. Congress then impeached Johnson, the first time in American history that the president was impeached. [[PassThePopcorn Also, they sold tickets to the trial.]] Like UsefulNotes/BillClinton's trial and both of UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump's trials, each more than a century later, the House voted to impeach him, but the Senate acquitted him (and this time, [[DecidedByOneVote only by a single vote]]). Johnson's lawyer pointed out that Lincoln made the appointment and, technically speaking, Johnson wouldn't have had to gain Congress' approval to fire him. Additionally, many of the senators argued that the nation had gone through enough lately and that such a major change in leadership wasn't necessary. There was also the case that, since there was no vice president (at the time, when a VP ascended to the presidency, no one was sent to replace him and so the position stayed vacant until the next election), the new president would be Benjamin Wade, the widely-disliked president ''pro tempore'' of the Senate, who was so far ahead of his time (he supported voting rights for women, legal support for unions, and putting limits on capitalism, all political no-noes back then) that many felt he would have been even worse. Some cases of bribery and offers of patronage jobs to any Republicans who were prepared to acquit Johnson have also been reported.[[note]]For what it's worth, ''all'' the Republican senators who voted against convicting Johnson either retired or were removed from office -- this was back when state legislators rather than all voters in the state voted for senators -- when their terms were up.[[/note]] Finally, Johnson only had nine months of his term left anyway, and Ulysses S. Grant, who was openly supportive of the Radicals' agenda, had been nominated as the Republican presidential candidate at the forthcoming election -- which just about everybody could see he would win easily, regardless of whom the Democrats nominated -- and many in the party begrudgingly concluded that it'd be less complicated for all involved just to let Johnson serve the remainder of his term rather than deal with a short-lived Wade presidency.[[note]]Wade had also been passed over for the position of Grant's running mate, and many in the party were worried that if he became president following Johnson's removal, he might seek to hang on to the office as a third-party candidate.[[/note]]

Johnson was allowed to complete his inherited term, but as a result, he was largely powerless and Congress essentially had more power than the president for the next few decades of American history (in his pre-political academic career, future President UsefulNotes/WoodrowWilson notably argued that Johnson's impeachment was what touched off what he called "Congressional Government"). Following his acquittal, Johnson tried to get nominated as the Democratic candidate for the 1868 election, but failed miserably, and as one final insult, Grant refused to share a carriage with him during his inauguration, causing Johnson to snub the event altogether. Barring the later presidents who died in office, he would be the last outgoing president not to attend his successor's inauguration until Wilson skipped UsefulNotes/WarrenGHarding's inauguration in 1921, as a result of Wilson’s strokes.

Other notable actions while in office were forcing UsefulNotes/{{France}} to get out of UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}} (which is why Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo and Mexicans basically ignore it) and signing Secretary of State William H. Seward's purchase of UsefulNotes/{{Alaska}} from UsefulNotes/{{Russia}} in 1867. The $7.2-million purchase, nicknamed "Seward's Folly", was considered a waste of money by a VocalMinority at the time, though the discovery of gold and, later, oil in Alaska disproved this. He vetoed adding Nebraska to the Union, but Congress overrode this. For (arguably) helping to delay the guarantee of equal civil rights for black Americans for nearly a century, mishandling Reconstruction, giving the South too much power too soon, and the scandal of his impeachment, he is generally considered to be one of the worst presidents, though some could also easily argue it wasn't ''entirely'' his fault while others say that he was just too authoritarian. He was reelected as a senator from Tennessee in 1875, and died less than five months later.

Johnson was allowed to complete his inherited term, but as a result, he was largely powerless and Congress essentially had more power than the president for the next few decades of American history (in his pre-political academic career, future President UsefulNotes/WoodrowWilson notably argued that Johnson's impeachment was what touched off what he called "Congressional Government"). Following his acquittal, Johnson tried to get nominated as the Democratic candidate for the 1868 election, but failed miserably, and as one final insult, Grant refused to share a carriage with him during his inauguration, causing Johnson to snub the event altogether. He would be the last outgoing president not to attend his successor's inauguration until Wilson skipped UsefulNotes/WarrenGHarding's inauguration in 1921, as a result of Wilson’s strokes.

Other notable actions while in office were forcing UsefulNotes/{{France}} to get out of UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}} (which is why Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo and Mexicans basically ignore it) and signing Secretary of State William H. Seward's purchase of UsefulNotes/{{Alaska}} from UsefulNotes/{{Russia}} in 1867. The $7.2 million purchase, nicknamed "Seward's Folly", was considered a waste of money by a VocalMinority at the time, though the discovery of gold and, later, oil in Alaska disproved this. He vetoed adding Nebraska to the Union, but Congress overrode this. For (arguably) helping to delay the guarantee of equal civil rights for black Americans for nearly a century, mishandeling Reconstruction, and giving the South too much power, and the scandal of his impeachment, he is generally considered to be one of the worst presidents, though some could also easily argue it wasn't ''entirely'' his fault while others say that he was just too authoritartive. He was reelected as a senator from Tennessee in 1875, and died less than five months later.

Being a Southerner himself, Johnson wasn't willing to penalize his own region too harshly. As such, he disagreed ''a lot'' with the Republican-dominated Congress, vetoing many of the Reconstruction bills (which were usually passed over his veto) and amendments (which he may or may not have vetoed given the chance, but as he didn't--constitutional amendments never pass over the president's desk--the point is moot). It didn't take long before he surpassed UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson's record for most presidential vetoes up to that point in history, and more than a few members of his Cabinet resigned in protest. Regarding civil rights for African Americans, Johnson infamously stated, [[ValuesDissonance "This is a country for white men, and by God, as long as I am President, it shall be a government for white men."]] Eventually, Congress passed the (blatantly unconstitutional) Tenure of Office Act, which stated that the President couldn't fire any of his appointees without Congressional consent. [[BatmanGambit The Radical Republicans knew Johnson would see this as a challenge to his authority, and violate it just to see what happened.]] He did when he fired Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, a Radical Republican raising havoc in Johnson's Cabinet, and tried to replace him with General Lorenzo Thomas. Congress then impeached Johnson, the first time in American history that the president was impeached. [[PassThePopcorn Also, they sold tickets to the trial.]] Like UsefulNotes/BillClinton and UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump, each more than a century later, the House voted to impeach him, but the Senate acquitted him (and this time, [[DecidedByOneVote only by a single vote]]). Johnson's lawyer pointed out that Lincoln made the appointment and, technically speaking, Johnson wouldn't have had to gain Congress' approval to fire him. Additionally, many of the senators argued that the nation had gone through enough lately and that such a major change in leadership wasn't necessary. There was also the case that, since there was no vice president (at the time, when a VP ascended to the presidency, no one was sent to replace him and so the position stayed vacant until the next election), the new president would be Benjamin Wade, the widely-disliked president ''pro tempore'' of the Senate, who was so far ahead of his time (he supported voting rights for women, legal support for unions, and putting limits on capitalism, all political no-noes back then) that many felt he would have been even worse. Some cases of bribery and offers of patronage jobs to any Republicans who were prepared to acquit Johnson have also been reported.[[note]]For what it's worth, ''all'' the Republican senators who voted against convicting Johnson either retired or were removed from office -- this was back when state legislators rather than all voters in the state voted for senators -- when their terms were up.[[/note]] Finally, Johnson only had nine months of his term left anyway, and Ulysses S. Grant, who was openly supportive of the Radicals' agenda, had been nominated as the Republican presidential candidate at the forthcoming election -- which just about everybody could see he would win easily, regardless of whom the Democrats nominated -- and many in the party begrudgingly concluded that it'd be less complicated for all involved just to let Johnson serve the remainder of his term rather than deal with a short-lived Wade presidency.[[note]]Wade had also been passed over for the position of Grant's running mate, and many in the party were worried that if he became president following Johnson's removal, he might seek to hang on to the office as a third-party candidate.[[/note]]

For the presidential election of 1864, Lincoln chose Johnson as his running mate for reelection because, as the only Southern senator left, he could broaden Lincoln's appeal in the slave states that didn't leave the Union. Johnson was expected only to help Lincoln get a few extra votes and serve a forgettable term as Vice President. Then UsefulNotes/JohnWilkesBooth shot Lincoln dead. This was part of a conspiracy to save the South as Booth ordered his henchmen, George Atzerodt, a German immigrant and carriage repair shop owner, and Lewis Powell (Paine) to kill Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William Seward. At 10:15 pm, the same time Booth shot Lincoln during a production of ''Our American Cousin'' at Ford’s Theater, Atzerodt could not bring himself the courage to shoot Johnson at the Kirkwood Hotel, so he ended up getting drunk while Powell only managed to seriously disfigure Secretary Seward at his mansion, but the metal canvas splint saved Seward’s life. After being spared by his own assassination attempt by Atzerodt, Johnson became the 17th President of the United States after Lincoln passed away at the Petersen House. Three months after the deaths of Lincoln and Booth, Johnson controversially permitted the execution of Atzerodt, Powell, David Herold, and boardinghouse keeper, Mary Surratt on July 7, 1865.

Johnson was allowed to complete his inherited term, but as a result, he was largely powerless and Congress essentially had more power than the president for the next few decades of American history (in his pre-political academic career, future President UsefulNotes/WoodrowWilson notably argued that Johnson's impeachment was what touched off what he called "Congressional Government"). Following his acquittal, Johnson tried to get nominated as the Democratic candidate for the 1868 election, but failed miserably, and as one final insult, Grant refused to share a carriage with him during his inauguration, causing Johnson to snub the event altogether. He would be the last outgoing president not to attend his successor's inauguration until Trump skipped UsefulNotes/JoeBiden's inauguration in 2021.

Other notable actions while in office were forcing UsefulNotes/{{France}} to get out of UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}} (which is why Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo and Mexicans basically ignore it) and signing Secretary of State William H. Seward's purchase of UsefulNotes/{{Alaska}} from UsefulNotes/{{Russia}} in 1867. The $7.2 million purchase, nicknamed "Seward's Folly", was considered a waste of money by a VocalMinority at the time, though the discovery of gold and, later, oil in Alaska disproved this. He vetoed adding Nebraska to the Union, but Congress overrode this. For (arguably) helping to delay the guarantee of equal civil rights for black Americans for nearly a century, weakening Reconstruction and giving the South too much power too soon, and the scandal of his impeachment, he is generally considered to be one of the worst presidents, though one could also easily argue it wasn't ''entirely'' his fault. He was reelected as a senator from Tennessee in 1875, and died less than five months later.

For the presidential election of 1864, Lincoln chose Johnson as his running mate for reelection because, as the only Southern senator left, he could broaden Lincoln's appeal in the slave states that didn't leave the Union. Johnson was expected only to help Lincoln get a few extra votes and serve a forgettable term as Vice President. Then UsefulNotes/JohnWilkesBooth shot Lincoln dead. This was part of a conspiracy to save the South as Booth ordered his henchmen, George Atzerodt, a German immigrant and carriage repair shop owner, and Lewis Powell (Paine) to kill Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William Seward. At 10:15 pm, the same time Booth shot Lincoln during a production of ''Our American Cousin'' at Ford’s Theater, Atzerodt could not bring himself the courage to shoot Johnson at the Kirkwood Hotel, so he ended up getting drunk while Powell only managed to seriously disfigure Secretary Seward at his mansion, but the metal canvas splint saved Seward’s life. After being spared by his own assassination attempt by Atzerodt, Johnson became the 17th President of the United States after Lincoln passed away at the Petersen House. Two months after the deaths of Lincoln and Booth, Johnson controversially permitted the execution of Atzerodt, Powell, David Herold, and boardinghouse keeper, Mary Surratt on July 7, 1865.

For the presidential election of 1864, Lincoln chose Johnson as his running mate for reelection because, as the only Southern senator left, he could broaden Lincoln's appeal in the slave states that didn't leave the Union. Johnson was expected only to help Lincoln get a few extra votes and serve a forgettable term as Vice President. Then UsefulNotes/JohnWilkesBooth shot Lincoln dead. Oops.

Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808 – July 31, 1875) was the seventeenth president of the UsefulNotes/UnitedStates (serving from [[TheGildedAge 1865 to 1869]]), following UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln after his assassination, preceding UsefulNotes/UlyssesSGrant, and was the sixth from the Democratic Party. Technically speaking, he was elected from the National Union Party (which replaced the Republicans during UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar), but historians generally count him as a Democrat. He never went to school, so he had to teach himself how to read and write; both his parents were manual laborers who never learned how to. Johnson, born in UsefulNotes/NorthCarolina, moved to neighboring UsefulNotes/{{Tennessee}} as a young man and became a congressman (serving in both houses at different points), and was the only senator from a seceding state to stay with the Union. He was also the governor of Tennessee at one point, and was later made the state's military governor during the Civil War; while holding that position he ordered slavery abolished in Tennessee in October of 1864. Johnson himself, ironically, was a former slaveowner, and the last US President to own slaves at any point in his life. Johnson freed his personal slaves on August 8, 1863, and to commemorate that event, August 8 is officially celebrated as "Emancipation Day" in Tennessee.

For the Election of 1864, UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln chose Johnson as his running mate for reelection because, as the only Southern senator left, he could broaden Lincoln's appeal in the slave states that didn't leave the Union. Johnson was expected only to rack up a few extra votes for Lincoln and serve a forgettable term as Vice President. Then Lincoln got shot. Oops.

Being a Southerner himself, Johnson wasn't willing to penalize his own region too harshly. As such, he disagreed ''a lot'' with the Republican-dominated Congress, vetoing many of the Reconstruction bills (which were usually passed over his veto) and amendments (which he may or may not have vetoed given the chance, but as he didn't--constitutional amendments never pass over the president's desk--the point is moot). It didn't take long before he surpassed UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson's record for most presidential vetoes up to that point in history, and more than a few members of his Cabinet resigned in protest. Regarding civil rights for African Americans, Johnson infamously stated, [[ValuesDissonance "This is a country for white men, and by God, as long as I am President, it shall be a government for white men."]] Eventually, Congress passed the (blatantly unconstitutional) Tenure of Office Act, which stated that the President couldn't fire any of his appointees without Congressional consent. [[BatmanGambit The Radical Republicans knew Johnson would see this as a challenge to his authority, and violate it just to see what happened.]] He did when he fired Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, a Radical Republican raising havoc in Johnson's Cabinet. Congress then impeached Johnson, the first time in American history that the president was impeached. [[PassThePopcorn Also, they sold tickets to the trial.]] Like UsefulNotes/BillClinton and UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump, each more than a century later, the House voted to start impeachment, but the Senate acquitted him (and this time, [[DecidedByOneVote only by a single vote]]). Johnson's lawyer pointed out that Lincoln made the appointment and, technically speaking, Johnson wouldn't have had to gain Congress' approval to fire him. Additionally, many of the senators argued that the nation had gone through enough lately and that such a major change in leadership wasn't necessary. There was also the case that, since there was no vice president (at the time, when a VP ascends to the presidency, no one was sent to replace him and thus the position was vacant until the next election), the new president would be Benjamin Wade, the widely-disliked president ''pro tempore'' of the Senate, who was so far ahead of his time (he supported voting rights for women, legal support for unions, and putting limits on capitalism, all political no-nos back then) that many felt he would have been even worse. Some cases of bribery and offers of patronage jobs to any Republicans who were prepared to acquit Johnson have also been reported.[[note]]For what it's worth, ''every'' Republican senator who voted against convicting Johnson either retired or was removed from office -- this was back when senators were appointed by state legislatures rather than directly elected -- when their term was up.[[/note]] Finally, Johnson only had nine months of his term left anyway, and Ulysses S. Grant, who was openly supportive of the Radicals' agenda, had been nominated as the Republican presidential candidate at the forthcoming election -- which just about everybody could see he would win easily, regardless of whom the Democrats nominated -- and many in the party begrudgingly concluded that it'd be less complicated for all involved to just let Johnson serve the remainder of his term rather than deal with a short-lived Wade presidency.[[note]]Wade had also been passed over for the position of Grant's running mate, and many in the party were worried that if he became president following Johnson's removal, he might seek to hang on to the office as a third-party candidate.[[/note]]

Johnson was allowed to complete his inherited term, but, as a result, he was largely powerless and Congress essentially had more power than the president for the next few decades of American history. Following his acquittal, Johnson tried to get nominated as the Democratic candidate for the 1868 election, but failed miserably, and as one final insult, Grant refused to share a carriage with him during his inauguration, causing Johnson to snub the event altogether. He would be the last outgoing president not to attend his successor's inauguration until Trump skipped UsefulNotes/JoeBiden's inauguration in 2021.

In 1887, Congress repealed the Tenure of Office Act, and subsequent rulings by the Supreme Court of the United States seemed to support Johnson's position that he was permitted to fire Stanton without congressional approval. The Supreme Court's ruling on a similar piece of later legislation in ''Myers v. United States'' (1926) affirmed the ability of the President to remove a postmaster without congressional approval, and stated in its majority opinion "that the Tenure of Office Act of 1867... was invalid." (Fun fact: President turned Chief Justice UsefulNotes/WilliamHowardTaft was the man who gave the majority opinion on that one.)

Other notable actions while in office were forcing UsefulNotes/{{France}} to get out of UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}} (which is why Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo and Mexicans basically ignore it) and signing Secretary of State William H. Seward's purchase of UsefulNotes/{{Alaska}} from UsefulNotes/{{Russia}} in 1867. Nicknamed "Seward's Folly" at the time, the $7.2 million purchase was considered a waste of money at the time, though the discovery of gold and, later, oil in Alaska disproved this. He vetoed adding Nebraska to the Union, but Congress overrode this. For (arguably) helping to delay the guarantee of equal civil rights for black Americans nearly a century, weakening Reconstruction and giving the South too much power too soon, and the scandal of his impeachment, he is generally considered to be one of the worst presidents, though one could also easily argue it's not ''entirely'' his fault. He was reelected as a senator from Tennessee in 1875, and died less than five months later.

* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3pUKEcQoD0 Tennessee Johnson]]'' is a 1942 {{Biopic}} starring Van Heflin. The film caused some controversy at the time due to its positive portrayal of Johnson and its negative portrayal of Republicans like Thaddeus Stevens.

[[caption-width-right:300:''"Tyranny and despotism can be exercised by many, more rigourously, more vigourously, and more severely, than by one."'']]

->''"There are some who lack confidence in the integrity and capacity of the people to govern themselves. To all who entertain such fears I will most respectfully say that I entertain none... If a man is not capable, and is not to be trusted with the government of himself, is he to be trusted with the government of others... Who, then, will govern? The answer must be, Man — for we have no angels in the shape of men, as yet, who are willing to take charge of our political affairs."''

Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808 – July 31, 1875) was the seventeenth President of the United States (serving from [[TheGildedAge 1865 to 1869]]), following UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln after his assassination, and preceding UsefulNotes/UlyssesSGrant, and the sixth from the Democratic Party. Technically speaking, he was elected from the National Union Party (which replaced the Republicans during UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar), but historians generally count him as a Democrat. He never went to school, so he had to teach himself how to read and write. Johnson was previously a Congressman from Tennessee (serving in both houses at different points), and was the only Senator from a seceding state to stay with the Union. He was also the Governor of Tennessee at one point, and was later made the state's Military Governor during the Civil War; while holding that position he ordered slavery abolished in Tennessee in October of 1864. Johnson himself, ironically, was a former slaveowner, and the last US President to own slaves at any point in his life. Johnson freed his personal slaves on August 8, 1863, and to commemorate that event, August 8 is officially celebrated as "Emancipation Day" in Tennessee.

For the Election of 1864, UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln chose Johnson as his running mate for reelection because, as the only Southern Senator left, he could broaden Lincoln's appeal in the slave states that didn't leave the Union. Johnson was expected to merely rack up a few extra votes for Lincoln and serve a forgettable term as Vice President. Then Lincoln got shot. Oops.

Being a Southerner himself, Johnson wasn't willing to penalize his own region too harshly. As such, he disagreed ''a lot'' with the Republican-dominated Congress, vetoing many of the Reconstruction bills (which were usually passed over his veto) and amendments (which he may or may not have vetoed given the chance, but as he didn't--constitutional amendments never pass over the president's desk--the point is moot). It didn't take long before he surpassed UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson's record for most presidential vetoes up to that point in history, and more than a few members of his Cabinet resigned in protest. Regarding civil rights for African Americans, Johnson infamously stated, [[ValuesDissonance "This is a country for white men, and by God, as long as I am President, it shall be a government for white men."]] Eventually, Congress passed the (blatantly unconstitutional) Tenure of Office Act, which stated that the President couldn't fire any of his appointees without Congressional consent. [[BatmanGambit The Radical Republicans knew Johnson would see this as a challenge to his authority, and violate it just to see what happened.]] He did when he fired Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, a Radical Republican raising havoc in Johnson's Cabinet. Congress then impeached Johnson, the first time in American history that the president was impeached. [[PassThePopcorn Also, they sold tickets to the trial.]] Like UsefulNotes/BillClinton many years later, the House voted to start impeachment, but the Senate acquitted him (and this time, [[DecidedByOneVote only by a single vote]]). Johnson's lawyer pointed out that Lincoln made the appointment and, technically speaking, Johnson wouldn't have had to gain Congress' approval to fire him. Additionally, many of the Senators argued that the nation had gone through enough lately and that such a major change in leadership wasn't necessary. There was also the case that, since there was no Vice President (at the time, when a VP ascends to the presidency, no one was sent to replace him and thus the position was vacant until the next election), the new President would be widely-disliked president ''pro tempore'' of the Senate Benjamin Wade, who was so far ahead of his time (he supported voting rights for women, legal support for unions, and putting limits on capitalism, all political no-no's back then) that many felt he would have been even worse. Some cases of bribery and offers of patronage jobs to any Republicans who were prepared to acquit Johnson have also been reported.[[note]](For what it's worth, every single Republican senator who voted against convicting Johnson either retired or was themself removed from office -- this was back when senators were appointed by state legislatures rather than directly elected -- when their term was up)[[/note]] Finally, Johnson only had nine months of his term left anyway, and Ulysses S. Grant, who was openly supportive of the Radicals' agenda, had been nominated as the Republican presidential candidate at the forthcoming election -- which just about everybody could see he would win easily, regardless of whom the Democrats nominated -- and many in the party begrudgingly concluded that it'd be less complicated for all involved to just let Johnson serve the remainder of his term rather than deal with a short-lived Wade presidency.[[note]](Wade had also been passed over for the position of Grant's running-mate, and many in the party were worried that if he became president following Johnson's removal, he might seek to hang onto the office as a third-party candidate)[[/note]]

Johnson was allowed to complete his inherited term, but, as a result, he was largely powerless and Congress essentially had more power than the president for the next few decades of American history. Following his acquittal, Johnson tried to get nominated as the Democratic candidate for the 1868 election, but failed miserably, and as one final insult, Grant refused to share a carriage with him during his inauguration, causing Johnson to snub the event altogether.

In 1887, the Tenure of Office Act was repealed by Congress, and subsequent rulings by the United States Supreme Court seemed to support Johnson's position that he was entitled to fire Stanton without Congressional approval. The Supreme Court's ruling on a similar piece of later legislation in ''Myers v. United States'' (1926) affirmed the ability of the President to remove a Postmaster without Congressional approval, and stated in its majority opinion "that the Tenure of Office Act of 1867... was invalid." (Fun fact: UsefulNotes/WilliamHowardTaft was the man who gave the majority opinion on that one.)

Other notable actions while in office were forcing France to get out of Mexico (which is why Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo and Mexicans basically ignore it) and signing Secretary of State William H. Seward's purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867. Nicknamed "Seward's Folly" at the time, the $7.2 million purchase was considered a waste of money at the time, though the discovery of gold and, later, oil in Alaska disproved this. He vetoed adding Nebraska to the Union, but Congress overrode this. For (arguably) helping to delay equal civil rights for nearly a century, weakening Reconstruction and giving the South too much power too soon, and the scandal of his impeachment, he is generally considered to be one of the worst Presidents, though one could easily argue it's not ''entirely'' his fault. He was reelected as a Senator from Tennessee in 1875, and died less than five months later.

* In the ''Literature/PresidentsVampire'' series, Johnson was the one who had [[FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire Cade]] magically bound to the service of the office of the President. He's depicted in flashbacks as a hard-drinking {{Jerkass}}, though that may have just been a [[INeedAFreakingDrink reaction]] to being around Cade.
* Serves as the primary antagonist of ''Podcast/EighteenSixtyFive''.

[[quoteright:295:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/71550-004-FE1A07AC.jpg]]

-->--'''Andrew Johnson'''

'''Andrew Johnson''' (December 29, 1808 -- July 31, 1875) was the seventeenth President of the United States [[TheGildedAge (serving from 1865 to 1869)]], following UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln after his assassination, and preceding UsefulNotes/UlyssesSGrant, and the sixth from the Democratic Party. Technically speaking, he was elected from the National Union Party (which replaced the Republicans during UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar), but historians generally count him as a Democrat. He never went to school, so he had to teach himself how to read and write. Johnson was previously a Congressman from Tennessee (serving in both houses at different points), and was the only Senator from a seceding state to stay with the Union. He was also the Governor of Tennessee at one point, and was later made the state's Military Governor during the Civil War; while holding that position he ordered slavery abolished in Tennessee in October of 1864. Johnson himself, ironically, was a former slaveowner, and the last US President to own slaves at any point in his life. Johnson freed his personal slaves on August 8, 1863, and to commemorate that event, August 8 is officially celebrated as "Emancipation Day" in Tennessee.

Johnson was allowed to complete his inherited term, but, as a result, he was largely powerless and Congress essentially had more power than the president for the next few decades of American history. Following his acquittal, Johnson tried to get nominated as the Democratic candidate for the 1868 election, but failed miserably, and as one final insult, Grant forbade him to attend his inauguration.

Being a Southerner himself, Johnson wasn't willing to penalize his own region too harshly. As such, he disagreed ''a lot'' with the Republican-dominated Congress, vetoing many of the Reconstruction bills (which were usually passed over his veto) and amendments (which he may or may not have vetoed given the chance, but as he didn't--constitutional amendments never pass over the president's desk--the point is moot). It didn't take long before he surpassed UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson's record for most presidential vetoes up to that point in history, and more than a few members of his Cabinet resigned in protest. Regarding civil rights for African Americans, Johnson infamously stated, [[ValuesDissonance "This is a country for white men, and by God, as long as I am President, it shall be a government for white men."]] Eventually, Congress passed the (blatantly unconstitutional) Tenure of Office Act, which stated that the President couldn't fire any of his appointees without Congressional consent. [[BatmanGambit The Radical Republicans knew Johnson would see this as a challenge to his authority, and violate it just to see what happened.]] He did when he fired Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, a Radical Republican raising havoc in Johnson's Cabinet. Congress then impeached Johnson, the first time in American history that the president was impeached. [[PassThePopcorn Also, they sold tickets to the trial.]] Like UsefulNotes/BillClinton many years later, the House voted to start impeachment, but the Senate acquitted him (and this time, [[DecidedByOneVote only by a single vote]]). Johnson's lawyer pointed out that Lincoln made the appointment and, technically speaking, Johnson wouldn't have had to gain Congress' approval to fire him. Additionally, many of the Senators argued that the nation had gone through enough lately and that such a major change in leadership wasn't necessary. There was also the case that, since there was no Vice President (at the time, when a VP ascends to the presidency, no one was sent to replace him and thus the position was vacant until the next election), the new President would be widely-disliked president ''pro tempore'' of the Senate Benjamin Wade, who was so far ahead of his time (he supported voting rights for women, legal support for unions, and putting limits on capitalism, all political no-no's back then) that many felt he would have been even worse. (Some cases of bribery have also been reported.) Finally, Johnson only had nine months of his term left anyway, and Ulysses S. Grant, who was openly supportive of the Radicals' agenda, was virtually guaranteed to win that year's presidential election; removing Johnson would at best have provided a needless disruption in the transition of power, and at worst could have caused Wade to break off from the main party and make his own bid for the presidency.

Johnson was allowed to complete his inherited term, but, as a result, he was largely powerless and Congress essentially had more power than the president for the next few decades of American history. In 1887, the Tenure of Office Act was repealed by Congress, and subsequent rulings by the United States Supreme Court seemed to support Johnson's position that he was entitled to fire Stanton without Congressional approval. The Supreme Court's ruling on a similar piece of later legislation in ''Myers v. United States'' (1926) affirmed the ability of the President to remove a Postmaster without Congressional approval, and stated in its majority opinion "that the Tenure of Office Act of 1867... was invalid." (Fun fact: UsefulNotes/WilliamHowardTaft was the man who gave the majority opinion on that one.)

Other notable actions while in office were forcing France to get out of Mexico (which is why Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo and Mexicans basically ignore it) and signing Secretary of State William H. Seward's purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867. Nicknamed "Seward's Folly" at the time, the $7.2 million purchase was considered a waste of money at the time, though the discovery of gold and, later, oil in Alaska disproved this. He vetoed adding Nebraska to the Union, but Congress overrode this. For (arguably) helping to delay equal civil rights for nearly a century, weakening Reconstruction and giving the South too much power too soon, and the scandal of his impeachment, he is generally considered to be one of the worst Presidents, though one could easily argue it's not ''entirely'' his fault. He was reelected as a Senator from Tennessee in 1875, and died less than six months later.

->''"This Johnson is a [[HaveAGayOldTime queer]] man."''
-->--'''UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln''' on Johnson

Being a Southerner himself, Johnson wasn't willing to penalize his own region too harshly. As such, he disagreed ''a lot'' with the Republican-dominated Congress, vetoing many of the Reconstruction bills (which were usually passed over his veto) and amendments (which he may or may not have vetoed given the chance, but as he didn't--constitutional amendments never pass over the president's desk--the point is moot). It didn't take long before he surpassed UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson's record for most presidential vetoes up to that point in history, and more than a few members of his Cabinet resigned in protest. Regarding civil rights for African Americans, Johnson infamously stated, [[ValuesDissonance "This is a country for white men, and by God, as long as I am President, it shall be a government for white men."]] Eventually, Congress passed the (blatantly unconstitutional) Tenure of Office Act, which stated that the President couldn't fire any of his appointees without Congressional consent. [[BatmanGambit The Radical Republicans knew Johnson would see this as a challenge to his authority, and violate it just to see what happened.]] He did when he fired Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, a Radical Republican raising havoc in Johnson's Cabinet. Congress then impeached Johnson, the first time in American history that the president was impeached. Also, they sold tickets to the trial. Like UsefulNotes/BillClinton many years later, the House found him guilty but the Senate acquitted him (and this time, [[DecidedByOneVote only by a single vote]]). Johnson's lawyer pointed out that Lincoln made the appointment and, technically speaking, Johnson wouldn't have had to gain Congress' approval to fire him. Additionally, many of the Senators argued that the nation had gone through enough lately and that such a major change in leadership wasn't necessary. There was also the case that, since there was no Vice President (at the time, when a VP ascends to the presidency, no one was sent to replace him and thus the position was vacant until the next election), the new President would be widely-disliked president ''pro tempore'' of the Senate Benjamin Wade, who was so far ahead of his time (he supported voting rights for women, legal support for unions, and putting limits on capitalism, all political no-no's back then) that many felt he would have been even worse. (Some cases of bribery have also been reported.) Finally, Johnson only had nine months of his term left anyway, and Ulysses S. Grant, who was openly supportive of the Radicals' agenda, was virtually guaranteed to win that year's presidential election; removing Johnson would at best have provided a needless disruption in the transition of power, and at worst could have caused Wade to break off from the main party and make his own bid for the presidency.