December 29
Andrew Johnson Born in Raleigh
Summary
Andrew Johnson was born on December 29, 1808, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Raised in poverty and apprenticed as a tailor, he had little formal schooling but built a political career in Tennessee, serving in local office, the state legislature, Congress, and the governorship. During the Civil War, Johnson remained loyal to the Union despite Tennessee’s secession and was appointed military governor of the state. He became Abraham Lincoln’s vice president in March 1865 and succeeded to the presidency after Lincoln’s assassination the following month. As seventeenth president, Johnson clashed with the Republican-controlled Congress over Reconstruction and policies concerning the rights and political status of formerly enslaved people. The House of Representatives impeached him in 1868, making him the first U.S. president to be impeached; the Senate acquitted him by one vote. He later returned briefly to the U.S. Senate before his death in 1875.
Why It Matters
Johnson’s presidency became a defining struggle over how the United States would reconstruct the Union after the Civil War and determine the rights of formerly enslaved people. His conflicts with Congress produced the first presidential impeachment and tested constitutional limits on executive and legislative power. The policies and political battles of his administration influenced the course and shortcomings of Reconstruction.
Related Sites
- Assassination Attempts: A related profile examining assassination threats or plots associated with Andrew Johnson.
- America 250 Atlas: A presidential profile placing Andrew Johnson within United States history.
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Sources
- Andrew Johnson, National Park Service. Accessed 2026-08-25.
- Andrew Johnson, National Governors Association. Accessed 2026-08-25.