“I feel incompetent to perform duties...which have been so unexpectedly thrown upon me.” - Andrew Johnson

Andrew Johnson was born December 29, 1808 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Andrew's story is all about working hard and not giving up, starting from a simple beginning and reaching the highest office in the country.

Andrew's childhood wasn't easy. He grew up in a family that didn't have a lot of money. They struggled, and Andrew didn't get to go to school like other kids. Instead, he was homeschooled. His mom taught him how to read and write. Even though life was tough, Andrew learned to work hard and loved to learn new things.

When he was just 14, Andrew started working with a tailor, learning how to make clothes. But Andrew was interested in more than just sewing. He loved talking about politics and getting involved in community activities. People noticed how well he spoke and how much he cared about making his community better.

Andrew worked in different local jobs, like being an alderman (a kind of local leader), mayor, and state legislator. These experiences helped him later when he got into big national politics.

Democrats and Republicans Should Work Together

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States. It was a big deal because he was the first person from the Republican Party to win the Presidential election.

The Republican Party was new back then, starting in the 1850s. They believed in stopping slavery. Andrew Johnson was Lincoln's Vice President, but he was from a different party called the Democrats. This was interesting because Lincoln wanted both parties to work together during the war between the North and the South.

Lincoln chose Johnson to be his Vice President because he wanted everyone to be friends, even if they were from different sides. Johnson was a Southern Democrat, and Lincoln thought having him on the team could help bring people from the South and North together.

Lincoln's idea of having people from different teams work together was called a "Union" or "National" coalition. He wanted to show that everyone in the country could be friends, no matter where they were from. This was important during a time when the country needed to heal and be together again.

Post-Civil War President

In 1865, soon after General Lee surrendered and ended the Civil War, something big happened. A man shot and killed Abraham Lincoln. Andrew Johnson was the Vice President, so he had to take Lincoln’s place.

Now the task of bringing the country back together (Reconstruction era) was on Johnson’s shoulders. Johnson wanted to be lenient and forgive the Southern states quickly, which caused some disagreements with Congress. His plan allowed former Confederate states to rejoin the Union by creating new state governments if they agreed to a few conditions, like giving up slavery.

However, Johnson's approach faced criticism because it didn't do enough to protect the rights of newly freed African Americans. He even said no to some important rules meant to help them. This led to conflicts over how to rebuild the country. The arguments got so bad that the House of Representatives tried to remove Johnson from office in 1868. But he finished his term as the President and did not run again.

One good thing that he did as president was that he bought Alaska from Russia. At the time, people thought it was a waste of money because it was a frozen wasteland. They called it Johnson’s “polar bear garden” and ‘Seward’s Folly” (because a man named Seward made the purchase for him). But after the discovery of gold in 1898, everyone realized it was far from folly!

Life after the Presidency

When Andrew left the White House in 1869, he tried to keep working in politics. Unfortunately, the fights during his presidency had made some people not like him as much. Even though he faced challenges, Andrew kept talking about important issues. In 1875, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, but sadly, he died that same year.

Andrew Johnson's legacy is about never giving up, even when things are really hard. He had a tough time as President, trying to help a country that was hurt by a war. Some people didn't agree with what he did, but he stuck to his beliefs. Even though his time as President was filled with arguments, his journey from a tailor's apprentice to the leader of the country is a part of American history that reminds us to keep going, no matter what.

Recommended Reading

Forty Acres and Maybe a Mule by Harriette Gillem Robinet

Like other ex-slaves, Pascal and his older brother Gideon have been promised forty acres and maybe a mule. With the found family they have built along the way, they claim a place of their own. Green Gloryland is the most wonderful place on earth, their own farm with a healthy cotton crop and plenty to eat. But the notorious night riders have plans to take it away, threatening to tear the beautiful freedom that the two boys are enjoying for the first time in their young lives. Ages 8 to 12.

Stella Stands Alone by A. LaFaye

Stella Reid is fighting to save the home she loves. After her father is killed and her mother succumbs to yellow fever, it's up to Stella to run Oak Grove, her family's plantation. Unlike most Southerners, Stella sees herself as equal to the African Americans she works side-by-side with in the cotton fields. The white Southerners reject her, and the freed men can't trust her after generations of enduring the horrors of slavery. So Stella stands alone as she fights to follow through on her father's dream to leave Oak Grove to her and the slaves. His will is nowhere to be found. Now, the bank has foreclosed on the plantation -- and the day of the auction is rapidly approaching. With no legal claim to the land, Stella is confronted with the possibility of losing Oak Grove, the only home she's ever known. Ages 12 years and up.

Bigger by Patricia Calvert

In the spring of 1865 the Civil War has finally ended. Men are coming home. Families are being reunited -- except for Tyler's. His father is going with a band of men to Mexico, where they will regroup, rearm, and continue the fight against the Yankees. Tyler is stunned. For four years he's dreamed of seeing his father again, and he can't let go of that dream. There's only one thing Tyler can do -- go get his father and bring him home.

Tyler starts his trek from Missouri to the Rio Grande alone, but he quickly gains a companion -- a strange dog made mean by cruelty but tamed by hunger and Tyler's desperately lonely need for him. Tyler names him Bigger. Ages 8 – 12 years.

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