Andrew Johnson assumed the presidency of the United States on April 15, 1865, following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Because of that, he was sworn in just hours after Lincoln succumbed to a gunshot wound inflicted by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre the previous evening. Johnson’s unexpected ascension placed a Southern Democrat with staunch states' rights views at the helm of a nation still reeling from the Civil War, setting the stage for one of the most contentious and tumultuous periods in American political history But it adds up..
The Immediate Succession: April 1865
The transition of power occurred with remarkable speed given the chaos of the moment. On the night of April 14, 1865, while Lincoln lay dying across the street from Ford’s Theatre at the Petersen House, Vice President Andrew Johnson was at his residence, the Kirkwood House. He was awakened by a knock on the door and informed of the shooting. Johnson rushed to the Petersen House, where he remained at the President's bedside alongside cabinet members and family until Lincoln was pronounced dead at 7:22 a.m. on April 15 Most people skip this — try not to..
At approximately 10:00 a.The ceremony was brief and somber, attended by members of the Cabinet and Congress. m. Chase administered the presidential oath of office to Johnson in the parlor of the Kirkwood House. Day to day, on April 15, 1865, Chief Justice Salmon P. In his first official act, Johnson issued a proclamation declaring a national day of mourning for Lincoln, attempting to project stability and continuity during a moment of profound national trauma.
The Constitutional Context of Succession
Johnson’s rise to the presidency tested the Constitution’s succession clauses for only the second time in the nation's history (the first being John Tyler’s succession after William Henry Harrison’s death in 1841). Article II, Section 1, Clause 6 of the Constitution stated that the powers and duties of the office "shall devolve on the Vice President" in the event of the President's removal, death, resignation, or inability Which is the point..
That said, the text was ambiguous regarding title. Did the Vice President become President, or merely Acting President? Johnson, like Tyler before him, asserted that he was the legitimate President of the United States, not a temporary placeholder. He moved into the White House, assumed the full powers of the office, and served out the remainder of Lincoln’s second term, which was scheduled to end on March 4, 1869. This precedent solidified the "Tyler Precedent," confirming that a Vice President fully assumes the office upon the death of the President.
Who Was Andrew Johnson Before the Presidency?
To understand the shock of his ascension, one must understand the man. Andrew Johnson was a unique figure in American politics—a Southern Unionist who refused to secede with his home state of Tennessee The details matter here..
- Humble Origins: Born in poverty in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1808, Johnson was apprenticed as a tailor. He never attended school; his wife, Eliza McCardle, taught him to read and write proficiently.
- Political Rise: He entered politics as a champion of the "common man" and small farmers, serving as an alderman, mayor of Greeneville, state legislator, U.S. Representative, Governor of Tennessee, and U.S. Senator.
- The Critical Decision: When Tennessee seceded in June 1861, Johnson was the only Senator from a Confederate state to remain in his seat in Washington. His fierce loyalty to the Union made him a hero in the North and a traitor in the South.
- Military Governor: In 1862, Lincoln appointed him Military Governor of Tennessee, where he administered the occupied state with an iron fist, suppressing Confederate sympathizers and beginning the process of Reconstruction.
- The 1864 Ticket: To broaden his re-election coalition, Lincoln dropped his first Vice President, Hannibal Hamlin, and chose Johnson for the "National Union" ticket. The pairing of a Republican President and a Democratic Vice President was a strategic gesture of national unity.
The Challenge of Reconstruction: Johnson vs. Congress
Johnson became president at the precise moment the Civil War was ending, but the battle over the peace—Reconstruction—was just beginning. His presidency is defined almost entirely by his catastrophic conflict with the Republican-dominated Congress over how to reintegrate the Southern states and define the rights of newly freed African Americans.
Lincoln’s Plan vs. Johnson’s Plan
Lincoln had favored a lenient "10 Percent Plan," offering pardons to Southerners who swore loyalty and allowing states to form new governments when 10% of voters took an oath. Johnson initially signaled a harsher approach, famously declaring, "Treason must be made odious," and suggesting the execution of Confederate leaders.
Even so, once in office, Johnson pivoted dramatically. Now, in May 1865, while Congress was in recess, he issued two proclamations:
- That said, Amnesty Proclamation: Offered pardons to almost all Confederates who swore loyalty, excluding high-ranking officials and wealthy landowners (though these exceptions could apply for personal pardons directly from Johnson). And 2. North Carolina Proclamation: Appointed a provisional governor and authorized the creation of a new state government elected only by white voters who had taken the loyalty oath.
Johnson proceeded to recognize new governments across the South that were dominated by former Confederates. These governments quickly enacted Black Codes—laws designed to restrict the freedom of African Americans and ensure their availability as a cheap labor force, effectively attempting to replicate the conditions of slavery It's one of those things that adds up..
The Break with Congress
When Congress reconvened in December 1865, Northern Republicans were outraged. They refused to seat Southern representatives and launched a Congressional investigation into conditions in the South. This began a legislative war:
- Civil Rights Act of 1866: Congress passed this to define citizenship and guarantee equal rights. Johnson vetoed it, arguing it centralized too much power in the federal government and discriminated against whites. Congress overrode his veto—the first major override in U.S. history.
- The 14th Amendment: Congress drafted this to constitutionalize citizenship and equal protection. Johnson actively campaigned against it during a disastrous speaking tour known as the "Swing Around the Circle," where he argued with hecklers and compared himself to Jesus Christ, damaging his credibility further.
- Reconstruction Acts of 1867: Over Johnson’s vetoes, Congress divided the South into five military districts, required new state constitutions guaranteeing Black male suffrage, and mandated ratification of the 14th Amendment for readmission.
The Tenure of Office Act and Impeachment
The final rupture came over the Tenure of Office Act (1867), a law passed specifically to protect Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, a Radical Republican ally, from being fired by Johnson. The act required Senate approval to remove Cabinet members.
Believing the act unconstitutional, Johnson suspended Stanton in August 1867 and replaced him with Ulysses S. That's why grant. When the Senate refused to concur with the suspension and reinstated Stanton in January 1868, Johnson formally dismissed Stanton on February 21, 1868, and appointed Lorenzo Thomas as Secretary of War ad interim.
Three days later, on February 24, 1868, the House of Representatives voted 126 to 47 to impeach Andrew Johnson for "high crimes and misdemeanors," primarily citing his violation of the Tenure of Office Act and his inflammatory speeches against Congress Turns out it matters..
The Senate Trial
The impeachment trial in the Senate began in March 1868, presided over by Chief Justice Chase. It was a political spectacle. Johnson’s defense argued the Tenure of Office Act did not
