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Andrew Johnson Born: December 29, 1808 Died: July 31, 1875 Democratic Party Term in Office: April 15, 1865 – March 3, 1869 Vice President: None

Andrew Johnson was the “wrong man, at the wrong place, at the wrong time.” He was Vice President during Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, and when Lincoln was assassinated, Johnson stepped in. Johnson was not selected as Vice President because he was thought as a good one, but because he would get Abe Lincoln votes. Throughout his presidency, not much was accomplished for America. He tried to do the most reasonable thing, which was reconstructing America after the Civil War. Also, he and his administration passed the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments. Lastly, he purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million, expanding the country and making more U.S. territory. Overall, Johnson deserves a C for his term as President. He deserves a C because he did not do much for our country, however, he did end up making more positive decisions then negative.

Johnson’s main goal as President was to carry out the Reconstruction of the South, which had been started by Abe Lincoln. He wanted to restore the legal status of the Union, by claiming that the southern states never left the Union because it was unconstitutional to dissolve the Union. He set out to have the rights of the Southerners restored. His plan was to appoint a local provisional governor, who was to call a state constitutional convention, which would draft a new constitution repudiating secession, slavery, and Confederate War debts. The southern states needed to swear an oath of allegiance to the federal government to become part of the Union again. Johnson hoped that by allowing southern states back into the Union, the South would recognize the value of allowing blacks to vote. However, the South had no intention of sharing political power with blacks and, therefore, the plan for the Reconstruction did not stand a chance. Johnson’s efforts for Reconstruction led the southern states to enact the black codes, which placed restrictions on black rights. It also caused the construction of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), which was created to promote white supremacy and resist Reconstruction by terrorism. All in all, Johnson failed in this goal because Reconstruction was bitterly opposed by most white Southerners. The Northerners were not treating the south well, the Southerners were not treating the blacks well, and nobody was getting along like they should. Johnson’s relationship with Congress was not a good one. While in office, Republicans held a huge majority in Congress. They passed many bills and overrode Johnson's vetoes. He vetoed 29 of Congress’s bills, fifteen of which were overridden. Radical Republicans were not happy just overturning Johnson’s vetoes. They wanted him out of the White House. Congress passed the Tenure of Office Act in 1867, which prohibited the president from removing senate-approved officials without the consent of the Senate. Their goal was to keep Johnson from firing Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, who had been appointed by President Lincoln. Stanton was a supporter of the Congress and did not agree with Johnson’s Reconstruction policies. This angered Congress and eventually, after Johnson dismissed Secretary of War Stanton, the House voted 127-47 for Johnson’s impeachment. He was being impeached for “high crimes and misdemeanors”. Johnson requested 40 days to prepare for trial, however, was only given ten. Although he was not impeached, it is clear that Congress did not enjoy his company and did not like him. These feelings were mutual.

Johnson did not do much good during his presidency. In fact, the only truly positive outcome by him was the ratification of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments. The Thirteenth Amendment stated that “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crime, shall not exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” The Fourteenth Amendment specified that no state should “deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law.” These amendments prohibited slavery and gave former slaves citizenship and equal rights. They were created for the purpose of Reconstruction, which was what Johnson and his administration were striving for. Johnson’s most negative action was his attempt of reconstructing America. Although this was the most reasonable choice for any president to do at this point in time, it led to many negative outcomes for our country. His attempt at Reconstruction led the black codes. These laws imposed severe restrictions on freed slaves such as prohibiting their right to vote, forbidding them to sit on juries, limiting their right to testify against white men, carrying weapons in public places and working in certain occupations. Reconstruction also led to the Ku Klux Klan. The KKK was formed by Tennessee veterans of the Confederate Army. They were a group of highly racist individuals whose purpose was to restore white supremacy after the Civil War. They opposed Reconstruction and fought against it by murdering and intimidating former slaves that had been legally released, slaves that were also know as freedmen.

The most influential decision of Johnson and his administration was the ratification of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth amendments. Although the amendments were not well liked when they were first passed, they influenced the lives of the people in the future by abolishing slavery and giving blacks the same rights as everyone else. At first, the Southerners did not abide by the amendments and the black codes were created. Soon, however, the amendments were followed. Without these amendments, America would not be the place it is today, and blacks most likely would not be treated as well as they are. Also, the most influential decision towards future presidents by his administration was the passing of the Tenure of Office act. This prevented future presidents from removing certain public officials without consent of the Senate.

In conclusion, Johnson deserves a C for his term as President. Although he did not do much for our country, of the things he did accomplish, there were more positive outcomes then negative. He passed the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments, which abolished slavery and gave blacks citizen rights. He also purchased Alaska from Russia. This expanded our country and we gained more US territory. Lastly, he attempted to reconstruct America. His Reconstruction efforts had good intentions; however, they ended up with many negative outcomes for the United States. Even though he was the “wrong man, at the wrong place, at the wrong time,” he stills deserves a C for his efforts.