He may have been the worst president in U.S. History until very recently. Andrew Johnson, our seventeenth president, was born on this date, December 29, 1808.
His rise through the political ranks went as so many others do. They begin at the local level, and before you know it, they are president. Such was the case with Johnson. He was elected as a town alderman in Greeneville, Tennessee, at the start. A few years later, he became a State Representative, a Governor, and a Senator, all in a matter of 17 years (1843 through 1860).
But, in his youth, he was a bit of an outlaw. Andrew Johnson was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. His parents were Jacob Johnson (1778–1812) and Mary (“Polly”) McDonough (1783–1856). He had one brother, William, who was four years older. He also had an older sister Elizabeth, who died in childhood.
The family was dirt poor. Johnson’s was born in some two-room shack. Later, he would use this politically, reminding the voters of his humble beginnings, his hardships in poverty.
So yes, his father, Jacob Johnson, was a poor man. It had gone on for generations. Both Jacob and Mary were completely illiterate. They worked in a small local tavern as servants. Perhaps because of these circumstances, Andrew Johnson never attended school.
And one day, his father, Jacob, died of an apparent heart attack while ringing the town bell. This came, as three men were drowning, and the bell-ringing was a part of the rescue. Little Andy was three.
So that left Polly Johnson to fend for the family. She had been working as a washerwoman and continued on with this, despite the fact that the occupation was then looked down on.
Here’s a little note about Andrew. He did not resemble either of his siblings or his father. So there were rumors that he may have been fathered by another man. Polly Johnson eventually remarried to a man named Turner Doughtry, who was as poor as she was.
The family needed money help, so Polly Johnson apprenticed her eldest son, William, to a tailor named James Selby. When Andrew became old enough, at age ten, he also became an apprentice in Selby’s shop. He was legally bound to serve until he turned twenty-one.
One of Selby’s employees taught Andrew some rudimentary literacy skills. The rest of his education was aided by local people who would come to Selby’s shop to read to the tailors as they worked. Apparently, the readings caused a lifelong love of learning for Andrew. He later became a gifted speaker, and many attribute this to his days when he worked in that tailor shop, listening to readers.
But here is the rebellious part. Johnson was not happy being indentured to James Selby. So, after about five years, both he and his brother ran away. Selby responded by placing a reward for their return: “Ten Dollars Reward. Ran away from the subscriber, two apprentice boys, legally bound, named William and Andrew Johnson … [payment] to any person who will deliver said apprentices to me in Raleigh, or I will give the above reward for Andrew Johnson alone.”
He had a price on his head. For a time, they went to Carthage, North Carolina, where Andrew worked as a tailor for several months. Then they moved to Laurens, South Carolina. Finally, he went back to Raleigh, hoping to buy out his apprenticeship, but could strike an agreement with Selby. He was at risk of being arrested so he decided to flee again, moving west to Tennessee, where politics would eventually ensue.
Of course, we know he was vice president when Lincoln was shot. In the following election, he was voted in as president but quickly became a problematic head of state. Many of his actions led to his becoming the first president impeached in the United States. The main point? He had violated the Tenure of Office Act, passed by Congress in March 1867. Specifically, he had removed from office Edwin M. Stanton, the secretary of war—whom the act was largely designed to protect—and attempted to replace him with General Lorenzo Thomas.
There is much, much more to his life, his misdeeds in office, and the rest of his political career. But he died in 1875, after suffering a couple of strokes. He was 66 years old. He was buried in his hometown of Greeneville, NC, with his body wrapped in an American flag and a copy of the U.S. Constitution placed under his head. This, according to his wishes. The burial ground was dedicated as the Andrew Johnson National Cemetery in 1906. His home and tailor’s shop are part of the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site.
And so it goes.
==========
“It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen.”
― Aristotle
==========
“A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.”
― Edward Abbey
=========
“The greatest patriotism is to tell your country when it is behaving dishonorably, foolishly, viciously.”
― Julian Barnes, Flaubert’s Parrot
=========
The worst president. Almost.
