Andrew Johnson

Andrew Johnson was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. His presidency was defined by conflict over Reconstruction after the Civil War.

Reconstruction era: The period after the American Civil War when the United States rebuilt the South and addressed the status of formerly enslaved people. Johnson’s lenient restoration policies and resistance to congressional measures defined an early phase of Reconstruction.
Presidential veto: The president’s constitutional power to reject legislation, subject to congressional override by a two-thirds vote in each chamber. Johnson repeatedly vetoed Reconstruction and civil-rights bills, while Congress demonstrated its override power.
Greeneville, Tennessee: A town in northeastern Tennessee that was Andrew Johnson’s home and political base. Johnson built his local career there after moving to Tennessee as a young man.
Thaddeus Stevens: A Pennsylvania congressman who led Radical Republicans and advocated strong federal action to transform Southern society after the Civil War. Stevens pressed for a more sweeping Reconstruction than Johnson’s lenient restoration policy allowed.
Eliza McCardle Johnson: The wife of Andrew Johnson and first lady of the United States from 1865 to 1869. She was his lifelong political partner and served as first lady during his turbulent presidency.
Impeachment of Andrew Johnson: The 1868 proceeding in which the House impeached President Andrew Johnson and the Senate narrowly acquitted him. His conflict with Congress culminated in a Senate trial that fell one vote short of conviction.
United States Congress: The federal legislature of the United States, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Republican majorities in Congress challenged Johnson’s policies and controlled the impeachment process.
Tennessee: A southeastern U.S. state that remained in the Union during the Civil War after seceding and then rejoining. Johnson’s political power came from Tennessee, where he opposed secession and later served as military governor.
Charles Sumner: A Massachusetts senator and leading Radical Republican who advocated civil rights and political equality for formerly enslaved people. Sumner’s Reconstruction vision opposed Johnson’s resistance to federal protections for Black Americans.
Hannibal Hamlin: A Maine politician who served as vice president of the United States from 1861 to 1865 under Abraham Lincoln. Hamlin was replaced by Johnson on Lincoln’s 1864 ticket, reflecting a shift in wartime political strategy.

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