Andrew Johnson Fast Facts

Seventeenth President of the United States

Image of Andrew Johnson, Vice-President of the United States during the Civil War.
Andrew Johnson, Vice President of the United States during the end of the Civil War. Courtesy Library of Congress Manuscript Division James Wadsworth Family Papers LC-MSS-44297-33-003

Andrew Johnson (1808-1875) served as America's seventeenth president. As vice president, he took over after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865. He was president through the early days of Reconstruction at a time when emotions ran high. Due to disagreements with Congress and his staff, he was impeached in 1868. However, he was saved from being removed as president by one vote; but was not nominated in the following election.

Birth

December 29, 1808 in Raleigh, North Carolina

Death

July 31, 1875 in Carter's Station, Tennessee

Term of Office

April 15, 1865 - March 3, 1869

Number of Terms Elected

Johnson was not elected, he became president and finished the term after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. He was not nominate to run for another term.

First Lady

Eliza McCardle

Memorable Quotes

"Honest conviction is my courage; the Constitution is my guide."

"The goal to strive for is a poor government but a rich people."

"There are no good laws but such as repeal other laws."

"If the rabble were lopped off at one end and the aristocrats at the other, all would be well with the country."

"Slavery exists. It is Black in the South, and White in the North."

"If I am shot at, I want no man to be in the way of the bullet."

"Who, then, will govern? The answer must be, Man - for we have no angels in the shape of men, as yet, who are willing to take charge of our political affairs."

Major Events While in Office

  • Reconstruction
  • Thirteenth Amendment Ratified (1865)
  • Alaska Purchased (1867)
  • Impeachment Proceedings (1868)
  • Fourteenth Amendment Ratified (1868)
  • Nebraska became a state (1867)
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Kelly, Martin. "Andrew Johnson Fast Facts." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/andrew-johnson-fast-facts-104320. Kelly, Martin. (2023, April 5). Andrew Johnson Fast Facts. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/andrew-johnson-fast-facts-104320 Kelly, Martin. "Andrew Johnson Fast Facts." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/andrew-johnson-fast-facts-104320 (accessed March 19, 2024).