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Andrew Johnson (12/29/1808-7/31/1875) Political Party: Union (War Democrat put on ticket to win Democratic votes) Administration: 4/15/1865- 3/31869 Vice President: None President Johnson had a rough road ahead of him after the assignation of Lincoln, but he tried to make the best of his situation. Johnson main problems came about because he really was a misfit at the time. He was a Democrat in a Republican White House, he was a president who was not elected, and a man who did not understand the North and was not trusted by the South. With all of these obstacles in Johnson’s way, it made progress something, which was very difficult. Nevertheless, Johnson did manage to get passage of the 13th amendment, purchased Alaska, and he attempted to continue Lincoln’s reconstruction plans; for his efforts, I give President Johnson a C+ for his presidency because even with the deck stacked against him he managed to keep the country moving in the general right direction. Andrew Johnson’s main goal as president was to continue Lincoln’s reconstruction plan, ergo Johnson took the same position that Lincoln did; that the states of the Confederacy never officially left so reintegration would be a short and easy process. Johnson issued his own Reconstruction Proclamation on May 29, 1865. It stated that the state must call a special convention to repeal all ordinances of succession, any debts will not be paid, and the state must ratify the 13th amendment. Johnson pardoned all who swore allegiance but some wealthier southern needed a personal pardon. In the end, Johnson managed to get the states readmitted to the Union and pass the 13th amendment, largely because Congress was out of session at the time and could not oppose it. The radical Republican congress would never had let such measures be passed. They believed the South had left and should be handled as new territory acquisitions; also, they wanted to punish the South and when old rebel leaders were elected to Congress, the republicans refused to allow them into Congress. The relationship between President Johnson and Congress was pitiful at best, mainly because he was a Democrat at heart and the Republicans had the majority of both houses. There was rarely an issue that Johnson and Congress agreed on; many of the bills that were passed during Johnson’s presidency had his veto and not his signature. Johnson used 29 vetoes and 15 of them were overridden by Congress. The relationship was so bad that Congress impeached Johnson in 1868 because of “high crimes and misdemeanors”. In 1867, Congress passed the Tenure of Office Act after a veto; the bill forbade the President from dismissing certain public officials without the consent of the Senate. In February of 1868, Johnson dismissed the Secretary of War, which then brought up impeachment charges with a vote of 126-47. In the end Johnson was acquitted of all charges during the trial which was held in the Senate, the Senate was one vote short of the 2/3 majority needed for a conviction, 35-19 was the total. Even though there was no action actually taken the impeachment attempt shows the animosity between the two branches of government. The most positive accomplishment during Andrew Johnson’s administration would have the passage of the 13th amendment. Johnson included the 13th amendment in his reconstruction plan to make sure that southern states could never legalize slavery again. Even though the blacks were still discriminated against, the amendment was a major step in solidifying black rights and did everything the Emancipation Proclamation did not by actually freeing the slaves. The most negative action during Andrew Johnson’s presidency was the four Reconstruction Acts, which divided the South in to military districts, forced Southern representatives to take an “ironclad oath”, adopt a new constitution with black suffrage, and ratify the 14th amendment. The passage of these acts was contested with vetoes by Johnson but still passed with veto overrides from Congress. The acts themselves were not so bad but the result of the acts is the negative aspect. They created many feelings of hostility in the South. The Southern states passed Jim Crow laws to try to regain the plantation hierarchy and just the general growing dislike for the Federal government and consequently the North and Republicans who were in control at the time. The action of Johnson’s presidency that most affected other generations to come would have to be the purchase of Alaska for 7.2 million dollars. As the Russians were in the mood to sell the frozen and “furred out” land of Alaska, the Russians preferred America because Alaska would strengthen America as a buffer between Russia and England. The America people did not see the true value of Alaska until later mostly because they were focused on internal improvements and anti-expansionism. As it would turn out Alaska was filled with natural resources such as gold, oil, natural gas, and many more. In addition to the increase in size and natural resources, the purchase of Alaska also solidified the relations between Russia and America; it was a total win-win situation for America and Russia. Johnson’s presidency was one of much action which was not approved by him and attempts by Johnson were thworted by a powerful and unyeilding republican congress. In the end the country was better, but not by a lot. Lincoln and Johnson’s goal of a quick recombonation of the Union failed, but the 13th amendment was passed abolishing slavery forever in America, the rise of Jim Crow laws and dicrimination, and the purchase of the territory of Alaska bolstering the size, natural resouces, and international relations of America. For these reasons I give President Johnson a C+ for his presidency, he did the best he could for a man between a rock and a hard place. Works Cited "Andrew Johnson -." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 30 Mar. 2010. . "Andrew Johnson." //The White House//. Web. 30 Mar. 2010. . DeGregorio, William A. //The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents//. Fort Lee, NJ: Barricade, 2005. Print. Kennedy, David M., Lizabeth Cohen, Thomas Andrew Bailey, and Thomas Andrew Bailey. //The American Pageant: a History of the Republic//. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. Print.