Andrew Johnson Part One: Humble Beginnings

image
Published: 31 Jul, 2012
1 min read

Andrew Johnson is a US President you might not have heard too much about. One reason could be that he wasn't actually elected. Johnson Served as the Vice-President from March 4, 1865 to April 15, 1865 under none other than Abraham Lincoln. After Lincoln was assassinated on April 14th Johnson took up the mantle of the President of the United States. But who exactly was this man? Although he hasn't been held up in nearly as high regard as Lincoln, Johnson still deserves some credit for standing his ground in the face of total opposition and rising from his humble beginnings to become one of the most powerful men in the world.

Andrew Johnson was born on December 29, 1808 in Raleigh, North Carolina. It's quite possible that out of all the presidents Johnson grew up the poorest. His father was a laborer and his mother a washerwoman, this led to very little income and Johnson ended up living in poverty until the age of 14 when he apprenticed with a tailor. After two years however, Johnson ended up leaving his apprenticeship and fleeing the authorities who wanted to charge him with breaking his indentured servitude. Johnson eventually returned to his employer only to be shooed away. He then left North Carolina with his mother and siblings in favor of moving to Tennessee where Johnson met his wife Eliza McCardle and opened his very own tailoring shop.

You Might Also Like

The American River
Josh Hoover’s Test as a Moderate Republican: Can He Win Independent Voters Again?
The American River connects the cities of Folsom, Rancho Cordova, and Citrus Heights, forming the core of California’s 7th Assembly District, which also includes the unincorporated communities of McClellan Park, North Highlands, Foothill Farms, Fair Oaks, Orangevale, Gold River, Rosemont, Mather, and most of Carmichael. The district lies entirely within Sacramento County....
06 Jan, 2026
-
9 min read
hand putting ballot in box.
A Million Californians Sign On to Voter ID – Forcing a 2026 Ballot Fight
California Assemblymember Carl DeMaio’s Reform California, which has proposed amending the California Constitution with a voter ID ballot measure, says it has crossed a major threshold going into 2026 – and it is not slowing down....
05 Jan, 2026
-
3 min read
Tim Walz
With Tim Walz Out, Is Minnesota Ripe for The Next Jesse Ventura?
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat and Kamala Harris’s running mate in the 2024 presidential election that Donald J. Trump ultimately won, announced January 5 that he will not seek a third term in 2026. ...
05 Jan, 2026
-
2 min read