Sean+H.+-+AJo+-+FA10

Andrew Johnson December 29, 1808 – July 31, 1875 Party: War Democrat Years Spent in Office: 1865–1869 No Vice President

President Andrew Johnson deserves a grade of C- for the overall performance during his presidency. Johnson was handed the reins of the divided union during a confusing and treacherous time in America. He was immediately greeted with the head ache of reconstruction upon being sworn in. In his actions Johnson attempted to stay on the fence in the sense that he was too easy on the defeated rebellious South, and resisted influence from the Northern Republicans. Overall he made an enemy of Congress and had to live under Abe Lincoln’s big shadow.

Johnson’s main goal was to successfully and effectively restore the South to the Union. He made little to no attempt of making political or social reform in the South. The Johnson administration’s reconstruction program opened the door for Southern states to be readmitted to the Union without drastic change in government or ideals. This did not sit well with the Republican Congress of the day and earned Johnson several enemies. Johnson main goals went directly against public opinion and Congress. Andrew Johnson had one of the worst President to Congress relationships that America has ever seen. Johnson was a War Democrat tacked onto Lincoln’s ballot to hopefully gain a wider variety of votes. After the assassination, Johnson found himself in the eye of the storm that was Southern Reconstruction. His plans for reconstruction were, as mentioned, against the general belief of Congress. During his tenure, Johnson vetoed over twenty bills cooked up by Congress, including the Civil Rights Act and the Freedmen’s Bureau. In the end more than ten vetoes were overridden by Congress. The legal tensions boiled to the point where members of Congress were willing to falsely accuse Johnson in order to impeach him, and later did attempt to under different grounds.

The most positive outcome of Johnson’s Presidency was certainly the savvy acquisition of Alaska. Russia no longer had the resources to stretch themselves across three continents and put the land up for sale. Due to recent good relations with Russia, Johnson made the decision. What Johnson didn’t know was that in the future Alaska would become a great source of crucial resources which include oil, nature reserves and Mama Grizzlies. Although he didn’t know it the purchase of Alaska was Andrew Johnson’s greatest achievement. The most detrimental action of Johnson’s presidency was his choice of a Reconstruction Act out of many purposed by Congress. It called for southern states to form new constitutions that would ratify the 13th amendment and address debts left over from the War. With this loose approach to reconstruction the South virtually did everything themselves. Bitter Southern racists took advantage of this and made many strides to keep the Blacks subjugated. Congress answered back with the Civil Rights Act which gave citizenship to the formally 3/5’s blacks.

Reconstruction was ultimately the most important Johnson’s administration had to deal with during his time in office. The course of action the government took at this time had rippling effects that lasted generations. Although it was mostly Congress who wrote and debated over Reconstruction Plans they still took place under the banner of Johnson. Southerners gained resentment for the government and a stern hate of blacks. Reconstruction had effects on the politics, culture, and economy of the South for many years to come. Johnson was a man who was thrust into a position of power during a difficult and fragile time in this nation’s history. Although he certainly by no means did a good job but he did do the best with what he was given. This is why Johnson deserves a C- for his time in office. Degregorio, William A.. //The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents, Seventh Edition (Complete Book of Us Presidents)//. 7 ed. Fort Lee: Barricade Books, 2009. Print

[]