WEBVTT

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Welcome to the Deep Dive, where we unpack the

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stories behind the headlines and explore the

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people who shaped our past. Today, we're plunging

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into a pivotal, almost unfathomable moment in

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American history. Picture this. It's April 1865.

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The nation has just emerged from four years of

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brutal civil war, reeling from the profound trauma

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of division and loss, and then a shattering blow.

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Abraham Lincoln, the leader who guided the Union

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through its darkest hour, is assassinated. Just

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gone. Suddenly, into that unimaginable void steps

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a man from Tennessee, a figure few truly understood,

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thrust into the presidency at the most critical

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juncture imaginable. It's hard to even grasp

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the shock. What does this mean? For the country?

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For reunification? For freedom? Exactly. What

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does this mean for a country teetering on the

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edge of a new era, grappling with freedom and

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the very definition of unity? It's a moment that

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feels less like history and more like high drama,

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isn't it? The country is in deep shock, needing

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a steady, unifying hand. And instead, it gets

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Andrew Johnson, a man about whom almost everyone

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had reservations, but for very different reasons.

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And that, for you, is our deep dive today. the

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extraordinary and deeply controversial life of

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Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United

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States. You've provided us with a truly fascinating

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collection of sources. And our mission is to

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unpack the story of a man who, against all odds,

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rose from abject poverty to the highest office

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only to face an impeachment trial and leave a

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legacy that historians still hotly debate. And

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it is hotly debated. We'll explore the surprising

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facts that shaped him, his pivotal and at times,

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well, calamitous. role in a defining moment of

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American history reconstruction, and just enough

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illuminating insight to help you become truly

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well -informed without feeling overwhelmed by

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the sheer volume of information. What becomes

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immediately clear when you look at Johnson is

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that his story is a tapestry woven with incredible

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contradictions. I mean, think about it. Right.

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He was a Southern Unionist who, perhaps ironically

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to modern ears, owned slaves. Which is a huge

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point right there. A huge point. He passionately

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championed the plebeian or working class only

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to become president after Lincoln and clashed

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dramatically with the very Congress elected by

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the people. And then in a twist that's almost

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unbelievable, he remains the only former president

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in American history to ever return to serve in

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the Senate. It's just wild. His life is packed

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with these unexpected turns and an almost infuriating

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stubborn determination that, as we'll see, set

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the stage for epic clashes that still reverberate

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today. OK, let's unpack this journey right from

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the very beginning. To truly grasp Andrew Johnson,

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we absolutely have to start at his roots, which

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were about as humble as they come. He was born

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on December 29th, 1808 in Raleigh, North Carolina,

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into profound poverty. And not just a regular

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poor, we're talking abj... Right. His birthplace

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wasn't some grand estate, but a simple two -room

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shack, a detail he would famously and often invoke

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throughout his political career as a powerful

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testament to his self -make image, a direct appeal

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to the common man. His parents, Jacob Johnson

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and Mary Polly McDonough, were both illiterate

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tavern servants. His father, Jacob, also held

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a variety of other low -wage roles, count constable,

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bank porter. But their financial situation was

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undeniably stark, living hand to mouth. And tragedy

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struck very early in his life. Jacob died when

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Andrew was just three years old. Yeah, just three.

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It wasn't a quiet passing either. His father

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suffered an apparent heart attack after heroically

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rescuing three drowning men. This left his mother,

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Polly Johnson, to become a washerwoman, a truly

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stigmatized occupation at the time, making her

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the sole struggling support of her young family.

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Which meant Andrew himself never had the chance

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to attend school, which tells you everything

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you need to know about the family's precarious

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circumstances. Zero formal schooling. Yet this

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lack of formal schooling didn't mean a lack of

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learning for Andrew. At age 10, he was apprenticed

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as a tailor to a man named James Selby, legally

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bound to serve until he was 21. A long time.

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And during this period, he learned rudimentary

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literacy skills from another employee in the

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shop. But what's particularly insightful about

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this time and often overlooked is how citizens

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would frequently come to Selby's shop to read

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aloud to the tailors as they worked. Ah, interesting.

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Yeah, this practice, as biographer Annette Gordon

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-Reed suggests, not only instilled in Johnson

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a lifelong love of learning and political discourse,

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but also subtly taught him the art of public

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speaking and argumentation as he meticulously

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threaded needles and cut cloth. He was absorbing

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the rhythm of rhetoric while mastering a trade.

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It's such a powerful image, isn't it? Learning

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the very foundations of political debate while

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his hands were busy with a needle and thread.

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But despite this intellectual stimulation, His

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apprenticeship wasn't, well, it wasn't a happy

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one. No, definitely not. After about five years,

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he and his brother William ran away. James Selby

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was so determined to get Andrew back that he

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offered a reward specifically noting Andrew Johnson

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alone, highlighting Andrew's value perhaps even

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as a runaway. Right suggests maybe he saw something

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in him even then. He worked as a tailor in Carthage,

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North Carolina and Lawrence, South Carolina,

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even attempting to buy out his apprenticeship

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when he briefly returned to Raleigh. Unable to

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come to terms with Selby and facing the ongoing

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risk of apprehension, he made the pivotal decision

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to move west, traveling mostly on foot, seeking

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a fresh start and, well, a fortune of his own.

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This westward journey led him to Greenville,

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Tennessee, a town he instantly fell in love with

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and where he truly began to build his new life.

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He settled there, establishing a successful tailoring

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business. And he was proud of his work, too.

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Oh, incredibly proud. He famously boasted, my

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work never ripped or gave way, reflecting the

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meticulousness, quality, and immense pride he

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brought to his craft, a trait that would later

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characterize his stubborn political resolve.

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He prospered financially, even investing profitably

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in real estate, eventually purchasing the very

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land where he had first camped. And a truly crucial

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part of his early success, both personally and

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politically, came from his marriage in 1827 to

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16 -year -old Eliza McArdle. She was so young.

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16, yeah. Despite her own struggles with tuberculosis

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throughout her life. Eliza was absolutely instrumental

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in his self -education, teaching him mathematics

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and diligently tutoring him to improve his writing

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skills. Which he desperately needed, having no

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formal schooling. She was key. But she was a

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shy, retiring figure, often remaining in Greenville

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during his political rise, leaving their strong

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-willed daughter, Martha, to frequently serve

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as the official hostess during his presidency,

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partly due to Eliza's ill health. It was this

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combination of financial prosperity, his voracious

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reading of orders, and his engagement in local

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intellectual life that really sparked his interest

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in politics. Right. He'd engage in private debates

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with customers right there in his shop. Kind

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of an early form of political campaigning, perhaps.

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And also participated in formal debates at Greenville

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College. So he's honing his skills. Exactly.

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This naturally led him into public service. He

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helped organize the mechanics working men's ticket

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in the 1829 Greenville municipal election and

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was elected town alderman. By 1834 his fellow

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alderman elected him mayor of Greenville. Looking

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at this early political trajectory, it highlights

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how profoundly his Polybian background and his

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experiences as a tailor informed his earliest

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political endeavors, leading him to consistently

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advocate for the common working man, for the

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tradesmen like himself. It wasn't just representing

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them. He was them. It wasn't an act. It sounds

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like that early experience wasn't just foundational,

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but almost forged his entire political identity.

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He wasn't merely a man of the people. He embodied

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the people he claimed to represent. Absolutely.

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From Greenville, Johnson began his rapid ascent

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through state and federal ranks. In 1835, he

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was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives,

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where he quickly gained a reputation for being

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formidable, having apparently demolished the

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opposition in debate with his powerful self -taught

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oratory. He could really speak. He briefly lost

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a reelection bid to a Whig, but then demonstrating

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his political acumen, he successfully won as

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a Democrat in 1839. And from that point forward,

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he didn't lose another race for an astonishing

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three decades. Thirty years. That's incredible.

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Yeah. He was known for his commanding public

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speaking, which genuinely drew crowds. And he

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even attained the rank of colonel in the Tennessee

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militia, a title by which he was often addressed,

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adding to his public persona. Colonel Johnson.

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It's crucial to note here, though, for a full

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understanding of his complex character, that

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despite his humble beginnings and his later fervent

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unionism, Johnson was, in fact, a slave owner.

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This is something we absolutely have to grapple

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with. In 1843, he purchased his first slave,

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Dolly, who was just 14 years old. 14. By 1860,

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his household included 14 enslaved people. However,

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a truly remarkable detail in his personal history

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is the story of his former slave, Sam Johnson.

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Okay, tell us about Sam. After emancipation,

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Sam remained with Johnson as a paid servant and

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later became a commissioner of the Freedmen's

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Bureau, the federal agency established to aid

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formerly enslaved people. And Sam Johnson then

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successfully negotiated for both land and monetary

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compensation from Andrew Johnson himself in 1867.

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Wow. From his former enslaver, now the president.

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Exactly. This specific interaction with Sam tells

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us a great deal about the complex, often contradictory

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relationships that could exist, revealing a fascinating

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tension between personal action and public policy,

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especially for someone championing the common

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man. That's a truly illuminating detail in a

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life full of them, hinting at the deep complexities

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of the era. In 1843, Johnson then moved on to

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the U .S. House of Representatives, serving an

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impressive five two -year terms. Ten years in

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the House. Here, he continued to be a strong

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advocate for the poor, maintaining an unyielding

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anti -abolitionist stance, and consistently opposing

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protective tariffs and extensive government spending,

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aligning with his Jacksonian democratic principles.

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And this is where he pushes his pet project.

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Right. It was during this time that he first

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introduced his brainchild, the Homestead Bill,

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a revolutionary measure to grant 160 acres of

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public land to settlers willing to work the land,

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a proposal deeply important to him, given his

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own background of struggling for opportunity

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and land ownership. You can see the direct link

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to his own life there. The bill passed the House

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in 1852, but faced resistance and failed in the

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Senate. He once lamented, I have no political

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future, after a wig led Henry Mandarin, like

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Gerry Mandarin, redrew his district to be unwinnable

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for him. He thought he was done for. Pretty much.

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But despite that prediction of a truncative career,

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he went on to serve as governor of Tennessee,

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elected twice from 1853 to 1857. So much for

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no political future. Right. Though the office

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itself had limited constitutional power, Johnson

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effectively used it as a bully pulpit, a platform

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to aggressively advocate for his agenda and shape

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public opinion. During his tenure, he initiated

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significant reforms including founding the state's

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public library, establishing its first public

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school system and initiating state fairs to benefit

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craftsmen and farmers, always keeping his plebeian

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base in mind. Even with limited power, he found

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ways to push his agenda. Yes. This capacity to

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operate within limited governmental power while

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still using the office to push for public good

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is quite fascinating, demonstrating his persistent

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drive for popular improvements, especially for

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those he believed represented the true heart

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of America. And from the governor's mansion,

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he was elected to the U .S. Senate in 1857 by

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the state legislature. He continued his relentless

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advocacy for the Homestead Bill, which, after

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years of his persistent efforts, finally passed

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in 1862, albeit after his departure from the

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Senate. He wasn't even there to see it pass,

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but it was his baby. This landmark legislation

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is widely credited with opening the Western US

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to settlement, transforming the American landscape.

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This relentless pursuit over many years really

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highlights his deep personal conviction tied

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to his own experience and a willingness to play

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the long game in politics. Yeah, that stubbornness,

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which would later be his undoing in many ways,

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initially served him remarkably well in these

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legislative fights for his core beliefs. As the

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nation hurtled inexorably towards civil war,

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Andrew Johnson found himself in an increasingly

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precarious position. A southern politician and

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slave owner who, paradoxically, remained fiercely

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loyal to the Union. A very, very tight spot to

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be in. Following John Brown's raid in 1859, tensions

00:12:39.629 --> 00:12:42.450
over slavery intensified dramatically across

00:12:42.450 --> 00:12:45.409
the country. Johnson, despite being a slaveholder

00:12:45.409 --> 00:12:48.519
himself, delivered a major Senate speech in December

00:12:48.519 --> 00:12:51.940
1859, decrying northerners who sought to outlaw

00:12:51.940 --> 00:12:55.000
slavery. And in that speech, he infamously asserted

00:12:55.000 --> 00:12:57.299
that the phrase all men are created equal from

00:12:57.299 --> 00:12:59.779
the Declaration of Independence did not, in his

00:12:59.779 --> 00:13:02.059
view, apply to African Americans, even citing

00:13:02.059 --> 00:13:04.559
the Illinois Constitution, which barred voting

00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:07.340
by African Americans to support his point. It's

00:13:07.340 --> 00:13:10.559
a stark, uncomfortable reminder of the deep -seated

00:13:10.559 --> 00:13:12.779
prejudices that existed even among those who

00:13:12.779 --> 00:13:14.659
would ultimately fight to preserve the union.

00:13:14.960 --> 00:13:17.220
He had even hoped to be a compromised presidential

00:13:17.220 --> 00:13:20.379
candidate in 1860, positioning himself as a moderate.

00:13:20.620 --> 00:13:24.200
Didn't work out. No. The Democratic Party fractured

00:13:24.200 --> 00:13:27.299
irrevocably over the slavery question, ultimately

00:13:27.299 --> 00:13:29.679
leading to Lincoln's election, which in turn

00:13:29.679 --> 00:13:32.700
spurred widespread talk and then action. of secession

00:13:32.700 --> 00:13:35.259
across the South. But when his state of Tennessee

00:13:35.259 --> 00:13:38.980
and others began to secede, Johnson stood absolutely

00:13:38.980 --> 00:13:42.080
firm. He famously declared with an almost prophetic

00:13:42.080 --> 00:13:45.019
tone, I will not give up this government. No,

00:13:45.159 --> 00:13:47.860
I intend to stand by it. And I invite every man

00:13:47.860 --> 00:13:50.679
who is a patriot to rally around the altar of

00:13:50.679 --> 00:13:53.919
our common country and swear by our God and all

00:13:53.919 --> 00:13:56.440
that is sacred and holy that the Constitution

00:13:56.440 --> 00:13:59.450
shall be saved and the Union preserved. Powerful

00:13:59.450 --> 00:14:02.289
words. He even argued in a desperate plea that

00:14:02.289 --> 00:14:04.129
if Southern senators would simply hold to their

00:14:04.129 --> 00:14:06.269
seats, the Democrats could still control the

00:14:06.269 --> 00:14:08.570
Senate and effectively defend Southern interests

00:14:08.570 --> 00:14:11.210
against any perceived infringement by Lincoln's

00:14:11.210 --> 00:14:13.409
incoming administration. It was a political argument

00:14:13.409 --> 00:14:16.570
trying to keep them in. Exactly. But this unwavering

00:14:16.570 --> 00:14:19.730
loyalty came at an incredibly high personal cost,

00:14:20.049 --> 00:14:22.009
and it's a testament to his deeply ingrained

00:14:22.009 --> 00:14:24.600
convictions. Despite threats on his life and

00:14:24.600 --> 00:14:27.820
actual physical assaults, he campaigned tirelessly

00:14:27.820 --> 00:14:30.720
against secession in Tennessee, sometimes even

00:14:30.720 --> 00:14:32.820
speaking with a gun conspicuously placed on the

00:14:32.820 --> 00:14:36.059
lectern before him. Wow, a gun on the lectern!

00:14:36.100 --> 00:14:38.360
Yeah, a grim symbol of the dangers he faced.

00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:41.379
When Tennessee ultimately joined the Confederacy

00:14:41.379 --> 00:14:44.559
in June 1861, Johnson, believing he would be

00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:46.799
killed if he stayed, fled through the Cumberland

00:14:46.799 --> 00:14:49.539
Gap. or his party was actually shot at by Confederate

00:14:49.539 --> 00:14:52.059
sympathizers. He had to leave his wife and family

00:14:52.059 --> 00:14:54.299
behind in Greenville. Just fled for his life,

00:14:54.299 --> 00:14:56.419
leaving his family. That's commitment. It really

00:14:56.419 --> 00:14:59.559
is a testament to the acute danger and his profound

00:14:59.559 --> 00:15:01.700
commitment to the Union cause. His commitment

00:15:01.700 --> 00:15:04.500
to the Union, even as a Southerner, was undeniable

00:15:04.500 --> 00:15:07.159
and singular. And because he was the only sitting

00:15:07.159 --> 00:15:09.279
senator from a seceded state to remain in the

00:15:09.279 --> 00:15:11.799
Union, he naturally had Lincoln's ear in the

00:15:11.799 --> 00:15:14.440
early months of the war, a unique and powerful

00:15:14.440 --> 00:15:17.600
position. Lincoln needed allies like him. This

00:15:17.600 --> 00:15:20.179
led directly to Lincoln appointing him military

00:15:20.179 --> 00:15:23.539
governor of Tennessee in March 1862 with the

00:15:23.539 --> 00:15:25.960
rank of brigadier general after much of the state

00:15:25.960 --> 00:15:29.000
had been retaken by Union forces. It was a role

00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:31.379
that suited his forceful personality perfectly.

00:15:31.720 --> 00:15:34.779
But in a cruel and deeply personal twist, the

00:15:34.779 --> 00:15:37.779
Confederates retaliated swiftly. They confiscated

00:15:37.779 --> 00:15:40.679
his land and his slaves, even going so far as

00:15:40.679 --> 00:15:43.440
to turn his home into a military hospital, a

00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:45.720
profound symbol of the war's intrusion into his

00:15:45.720 --> 00:15:48.220
personal life. So while he's governing, his own

00:15:48.220 --> 00:15:51.529
home is occupied territory. Exactly. As military

00:15:51.529 --> 00:15:53.610
governor, Johnson was relentless in seeking to

00:15:53.610 --> 00:15:56.129
eliminate rebel influence in the state. He demanded

00:15:56.129 --> 00:15:58.570
loyalty oaths from public officials, shut down

00:15:58.570 --> 00:16:00.970
Confederate newspapers, and bravely and effectively

00:16:00.970 --> 00:16:03.470
defended Nashville against General Nathan Bedford

00:16:03.470 --> 00:16:05.850
Forrest's daring cavalry raids. He wasn't messing

00:16:05.850 --> 00:16:08.250
around. Not at all. And his stance on slavery?

00:16:08.570 --> 00:16:11.509
deeply rooted as it was, also underwent a noticeable

00:16:11.509 --> 00:16:13.950
evolution during this period of intense national

00:16:13.950 --> 00:16:16.669
upheaval. When Lincoln issued the Emancipation

00:16:16.669 --> 00:16:20.230
Proclamation in January 1863, Johnson, rather

00:16:20.230 --> 00:16:22.629
surprisingly, requested that Tennessee be exempted.

00:16:22.809 --> 00:16:25.289
And it was. Still holding on there. Initially,

00:16:25.970 --> 00:16:29.169
yes. However, he eventually came to a stark,

00:16:29.409 --> 00:16:32.649
pragmatic conclusion, stating that if the institution

00:16:32.649 --> 00:16:35.929
of slavery seeks to overthrow it, the government.

00:16:36.200 --> 00:16:38.480
then the government has a clear right to destroy

00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:41.039
it. So slavery becomes the enemy of the government

00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:45.159
he's trying to save. Precisely. He somewhat reluctantly

00:16:45.159 --> 00:16:47.940
but decisively came to support efforts to enlist

00:16:47.940 --> 00:16:50.379
former slaves into the Union Army. Ultimately

00:16:50.379 --> 00:16:52.899
succeeding in recruiting 20 ,000 black soldiers

00:16:52.899 --> 00:16:55.019
to serve the Union comes in Tennessee. That's

00:16:55.019 --> 00:16:58.360
a significant number. It is. This shifting pragmatic

00:16:58.360 --> 00:17:00.919
stance on slavery, coupled with his proven loyalty

00:17:00.919 --> 00:17:03.259
as a Southern Democrat, paved the way for his

00:17:03.259 --> 00:17:06.920
next truly unexpected role. In 1864, as Lincoln

00:17:06.920 --> 00:17:09.160
sought re -election, he made a strategic choice

00:17:09.160 --> 00:17:11.299
to replace his Republican vice president, Hannibal

00:17:11.299 --> 00:17:13.839
Hamlin, with a war Democrat on his ticket. A

00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:16.339
unity ticket. Exactly. The goal was to foster

00:17:16.339 --> 00:17:18.700
national unity and send a powerful message about

00:17:18.700 --> 00:17:21.500
the folly of secession. Johnson, with his background

00:17:21.500 --> 00:17:23.920
as a Southern Unionist who had served as a successful

00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:26.839
military governor, became the logical, even ideal

00:17:26.839 --> 00:17:30.099
choice to symbolize the continuing capacity for

00:17:30.099 --> 00:17:32.880
union within the country. So Lincoln ran under

00:17:32.880 --> 00:17:35.420
the banner of the National Union Party, a wartime

00:17:35.420 --> 00:17:38.519
coalition, not strictly Republican, and Johnson

00:17:38.519 --> 00:17:40.700
was nominated for vice president on the second

00:17:40.700 --> 00:17:43.539
ballot at the convention. Lincoln, upon hearing

00:17:43.539 --> 00:17:45.819
the news, is famously reported to have simply

00:17:45.819 --> 00:17:48.559
remarked, Andy Johnson, I think, is a good man.

00:17:48.700 --> 00:17:50.680
A rather understated endorsement, wasn't it?

00:17:50.759 --> 00:17:53.619
Yeah, for such a crucial political move. Johnson

00:17:53.619 --> 00:17:56.480
actively campaigned, which was unusual for a

00:17:56.480 --> 00:17:58.779
national candidate at the time, delivering speeches

00:17:58.779 --> 00:18:01.799
across several states. He also controversially

00:18:01.799 --> 00:18:04.680
sought to boost his chances in Tennessee by making

00:18:04.680 --> 00:18:07.220
the loyalty oath there far more restrictive,

00:18:07.759 --> 00:18:10.180
effectively disenfranchising supporters of the

00:18:10.180 --> 00:18:12.609
Democratic presidential candidate. George McClellan.

00:18:13.009 --> 00:18:15.170
A bit of political maneuvering there. Lincoln,

00:18:15.289 --> 00:18:17.950
in his pursuit of national unity, did not intervene,

00:18:18.230 --> 00:18:20.390
and their ticket successfully won Tennessee.

00:18:20.970 --> 00:18:23.589
Then came the infamous inauguration on March

00:18:23.589 --> 00:18:27.049
4th, 1865, a moment that would haunt his public

00:18:27.049 --> 00:18:29.890
image. Jonathan may have been genuinely ill,

00:18:30.170 --> 00:18:32.309
though historians continue to debate the exact

00:18:32.309 --> 00:18:34.329
nature of his condition. Right, there's debate,

00:18:34.349 --> 00:18:38.000
but the outcome. The outcome is undeniable. After

00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:39.880
drinking heavily the night before and on the

00:18:39.880 --> 00:18:42.660
morning of the ceremony, he delivered a rambling,

00:18:42.920 --> 00:18:45.240
almost incoherent address in the Senate chamber

00:18:45.240 --> 00:18:48.119
before a mortified Lincoln and other dignitaries.

00:18:48.140 --> 00:18:51.700
Oh man, just a disaster. Total disaster. The

00:18:51.700 --> 00:18:54.180
spectacle led to widespread public ridicule,

00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:57.019
though Lincoln, ever charitable, later defended

00:18:57.019 --> 00:18:59.849
him, stating, and he ate a drunkard. But this

00:18:59.849 --> 00:19:01.890
public debacle wasn't just an embarrassment.

00:19:02.230 --> 00:19:04.250
It fundamentally crippled his ability to command

00:19:04.250 --> 00:19:06.849
respect from Congress and the public, creating

00:19:06.849 --> 00:19:09.829
a trust deficit that defined his entire presidency

00:19:09.829 --> 00:19:12.690
even before he officially took office just weeks

00:19:12.690 --> 00:19:15.509
later. It must have been devastating to his standing.

00:19:15.869 --> 00:19:17.849
And that sudden accession, of course, arrived

00:19:17.849 --> 00:19:21.359
just over a month later. On April 14th, 1865,

00:19:21.839 --> 00:19:23.859
Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth

00:19:23.859 --> 00:19:26.519
at Ford's Theater. And Johnson himself was also

00:19:26.519 --> 00:19:29.059
targeted by Booth's co -conspirators. His would

00:19:29.059 --> 00:19:31.480
-be assassin, George Atzerot, was assigned to

00:19:31.480 --> 00:19:34.000
kill Johnson, but got drunk and failed to attack

00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:36.059
him, lost his nerve. Incredible. So he escapes

00:19:36.059 --> 00:19:39.299
assassination by chance. Pretty much. Johnson

00:19:39.299 --> 00:19:41.980
rushed to Lincoln's deathbed. famously vowing

00:19:41.980 --> 00:19:44.640
with a chilling intensity, they shall suffer

00:19:44.640 --> 00:19:46.859
for this. They shall suffer for this. Following

00:19:46.859 --> 00:19:49.839
Lincoln's death on April 15, Johnson was swiftly

00:19:49.839 --> 00:19:52.339
sworn in as president by Chief Justice Salmon

00:19:52.339 --> 00:19:56.039
P. Chase in a small, somber ceremony. Newspapers

00:19:56.039 --> 00:19:59.380
of the day described his demeanor as solemn and

00:19:59.380 --> 00:20:02.240
dignified and necessary contracts, a stark and

00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:04.779
much needed contrast to his recent inaugural

00:20:04.779 --> 00:20:08.059
behavior. He immediately asked all of Lincoln's

00:20:08.059 --> 00:20:09.900
cabinet members to remain in their positions.

00:20:10.220 --> 00:20:13.160
seeking continuity amidst chaos. And initially,

00:20:13.420 --> 00:20:15.720
he took a surprisingly tough stance on the defeated

00:20:15.720 --> 00:20:18.619
South. He rejected General Sherman's lenient

00:20:18.619 --> 00:20:20.859
armistice agreement with Confederate General

00:20:20.859 --> 00:20:23.259
Joseph E. Johnston, an agreement that would have

00:20:23.259 --> 00:20:25.599
respected slave property. He wanted unconditional

00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:28.039
surrender. Right. Johnson and his cabinet were

00:20:28.039 --> 00:20:30.160
adamant that Sherman needed to secure a military

00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:32.740
surrender without making political deals. He

00:20:32.740 --> 00:20:35.660
also placed a significant $100 ,000 bounty on

00:20:35.660 --> 00:20:38.380
Jefferson Davis, who was then a fugitive, giving

00:20:38.380 --> 00:20:40.339
him the reputation of a man who would be hard

00:20:40.339 --> 00:20:42.019
on the South. Which must have surprised some

00:20:42.019 --> 00:20:45.180
people. Absolutely. More controversially, he

00:20:45.180 --> 00:20:47.579
permitted the execution of Mary Surratt for her

00:20:47.579 --> 00:20:49.940
role in Lincoln's assassination, an act that

00:20:49.940 --> 00:20:52.740
sparked considerable debate. What's truly fascinating

00:20:52.740 --> 00:20:55.640
here is how quickly public perception and Johnson's

00:20:55.640 --> 00:20:58.759
own approach would shift from this initial, seemingly

00:20:58.759 --> 00:21:01.380
punitive stance, setting the stage for one of

00:21:01.380 --> 00:21:04.240
the most tumultuous and historically significant

00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:07.099
presidencies in American history. As the dust

00:21:07.099 --> 00:21:09.299
settled from the assassination and the final

00:21:09.299 --> 00:21:11.759
throes of the Civil War, the nation immediately

00:21:11.759 --> 00:21:14.180
pivoted to the monumental and deeply complex

00:21:14.180 --> 00:21:17.599
task of reconstruction. Upon taking office, Andrew

00:21:17.599 --> 00:21:19.940
Johnson had a very clear vision for how this

00:21:19.940 --> 00:21:22.099
process should unfold. And it was his vision.

00:21:22.299 --> 00:21:24.079
And it fundamentally clashed with the prevailing

00:21:24.079 --> 00:21:26.529
sentiment in the North. particularly within Congress.

00:21:27.269 --> 00:21:29.609
His primary goal was the speedy restoration of

00:21:29.609 --> 00:21:31.829
the seceded states, asserting that they had never

00:21:31.829 --> 00:21:33.730
truly left the Union and should therefore be

00:21:33.730 --> 00:21:36.390
quickly recognized once loyal citizens formed

00:21:36.390 --> 00:21:39.049
new governments with minimal federal intervention.

00:21:39.390 --> 00:21:41.930
His approach to suffrage was, as you might expect

00:21:41.930 --> 00:21:44.809
given his earlier remarks, a major point of contention.

00:21:45.550 --> 00:21:47.970
Johnson firmly believed that African -American

00:21:47.970 --> 00:21:51.450
suffrage was a state, not a federal, responsibility,

00:21:52.230 --> 00:21:54.710
vehemently opposing any federal mandate. He saw

00:21:54.710 --> 00:21:56.829
it as getting in the way. Yeah, he viewed it

00:21:56.829 --> 00:21:59.829
as a delay and a distraction to the more immediate

00:21:59.829 --> 00:22:03.309
goal of reunification and expressed fears, whether

00:22:03.309 --> 00:22:06.210
genuine or politically convenient, that freedmen,

00:22:06.490 --> 00:22:08.730
still economically bound to their former masters,

00:22:09.089 --> 00:22:11.410
would simply vote at their direction, undermining

00:22:11.410 --> 00:22:14.680
true independence. In Johnson's mind, Reconstruction

00:22:14.680 --> 00:22:16.779
wasn't just about restoring the union. It was

00:22:16.779 --> 00:22:19.039
also intrinsically linked to shifting political

00:22:19.039 --> 00:22:21.900
power in the southern states. He aimed to dramatically

00:22:21.900 --> 00:22:24.500
empower his favored plebeians, the small farmers,

00:22:24.779 --> 00:22:26.859
the self -employed tradesmen, the yeoman class,

00:22:27.240 --> 00:22:29.500
at the expense of the old planter aristocracy

00:22:29.500 --> 00:22:32.059
that he had long resented. That class resentment

00:22:32.059 --> 00:22:35.359
ran deep. And let's not overlook Johnson's personal

00:22:35.359 --> 00:22:38.420
political ambition. He desperately sought to

00:22:38.420 --> 00:22:41.599
win the 1868 election in his own right, a feat

00:22:41.599 --> 00:22:44.619
no successor president had managed. And he believed

00:22:44.619 --> 00:22:46.940
he could achieve this by building a powerful,

00:22:46.940 --> 00:22:49.619
democratic, anti -congressional reconstruction

00:22:49.619 --> 00:22:51.700
coalition in the South. So personal ambition

00:22:51.700 --> 00:22:53.960
was definitely part of the mix. Oh, absolutely.

00:22:54.140 --> 00:22:57.099
These presidential aims, however, were in direct

00:22:57.099 --> 00:22:59.400
competition with various Republican visions,

00:22:59.720 --> 00:23:01.920
which themselves were certainly not monolithic.

00:23:02.759 --> 00:23:04.740
The radical Republicans, for example, were driven

00:23:04.740 --> 00:23:07.039
by a profound desire for comprehensive voting

00:23:07.039 --> 00:23:09.180
and civil rights for African Americans. I want

00:23:09.180 --> 00:23:11.980
a real change. Real fundamental change. They

00:23:11.980 --> 00:23:14.039
fervently believe that black votes would not

00:23:14.039 --> 00:23:16.440
only secure Republican power in the South, but

00:23:16.440 --> 00:23:18.880
also ensure that top Confederates were genuinely

00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:21.240
punished for their rebellion, seeing justice

00:23:21.240 --> 00:23:24.400
and political power as intertwined. On the other

00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:26.720
hand, the moderate Republicans had somewhat different

00:23:26.720 --> 00:23:30.059
priorities, often treading a middle ground. They

00:23:30.059 --> 00:23:32.660
aimed primarily to keep Democrats out of national

00:23:32.660 --> 00:23:34.839
power and prevent former rebels from quickly

00:23:34.839 --> 00:23:37.279
resuming political influence. Right, less about

00:23:37.279 --> 00:23:39.799
radical equality, more about control. While they

00:23:39.799 --> 00:23:42.019
wanted to see African Americans treated fairly

00:23:42.019 --> 00:23:44.859
and afforded basic protections, they were generally

00:23:44.859 --> 00:23:47.740
less enthusiastic about universal black suffrage,

00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:50.420
either due to their own local political concerns,

00:23:50.559 --> 00:23:53.619
sometimes fueled by racial anxieties, or a belief

00:23:53.619 --> 00:23:56.759
that freedmen might vote badly or be easily manipulated.

00:23:57.079 --> 00:23:59.539
And then you had the Northern Democrats, who

00:23:59.539 --> 00:24:02.400
largely favored the unconditional, swift restoration

00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:05.480
of Southern states and unequivocally opposed

00:24:05.480 --> 00:24:07.859
African -American suffrage, which they saw as

00:24:07.859 --> 00:24:09.980
a threat to their traditional control in the

00:24:09.980 --> 00:24:12.519
South and a violation of states' rights. So a

00:24:12.519 --> 00:24:14.519
really fractured political landscape. Totally

00:24:14.519 --> 00:24:17.259
fractured. With Congress in recess until December

00:24:17.259 --> 00:24:21.000
1865, Johnson seized the initiative, left to

00:24:21.000 --> 00:24:23.059
devise a reconstruction policy unilaterally.

00:24:23.119 --> 00:24:25.019
He launched what became known as Presidential

00:24:25.019 --> 00:24:28.940
Reconstruction. On May 29th, 1865, he issued

00:24:28.940 --> 00:24:31.119
two crucial proclamations. Hey, what did they

00:24:31.119 --> 00:24:33.779
do? One recognized the existing loyalist government

00:24:33.779 --> 00:24:36.839
in Virginia, and the second provided a broad

00:24:36.839 --> 00:24:40.019
amnesty for most ex -Rebels, with a notable exception

00:24:40.019 --> 00:24:42.579
for those holding property valued at $20 ,000

00:24:42.579 --> 00:24:45.759
or more, a clear jab at the wealthy planter class

00:24:45.759 --> 00:24:49.200
he despised. So targeting his old enemies. Exactly.

00:24:49.630 --> 00:24:51.829
He also authorized elections in other former

00:24:51.829 --> 00:24:54.250
rebel states without making any provisions whatsoever

00:24:54.250 --> 00:24:56.990
for black suffrage or the protection of freedmen's

00:24:56.990 --> 00:25:00.299
rights. The South, feeling emboldened by Johnson's

00:25:00.299 --> 00:25:02.859
lenient approach and seeing it as an opportunity

00:25:02.859 --> 00:25:05.839
to regain lost ground, began to form new governments

00:25:05.839 --> 00:25:08.960
and, shockingly, defiantly returned many of their

00:25:08.960 --> 00:25:11.380
old Confederate leaders, including former Confederate

00:25:11.380 --> 00:25:14.140
Vice President Alexander Stevens, to positions

00:25:14.140 --> 00:25:16.380
of power in Washington. Just walking right back

00:25:16.380 --> 00:25:18.559
in. More critically, they passed the notorious

00:25:18.559 --> 00:25:21.819
Black Codes, a series of highly restrictive laws

00:25:21.819 --> 00:25:24.039
designed to control the labor and behavior of

00:25:24.039 --> 00:25:26.460
newly freed African Americans. These were really

00:25:26.460 --> 00:25:29.380
awful. aren't they? Terrible. These codes bound

00:25:29.380 --> 00:25:31.779
laborers to annual contracts they could not quit,

00:25:32.299 --> 00:25:34.980
allowed for their arrest for vagrancy, and generally

00:25:34.980 --> 00:25:37.200
imposed severe limitations on their freedom,

00:25:37.680 --> 00:25:40.740
essentially placing freedmen in a position barely

00:25:40.740 --> 00:25:43.839
above slavery. It was a brazen attempt to restore

00:25:43.839 --> 00:25:46.980
a semblance of the old order. This Southern defiance,

00:25:47.079 --> 00:25:49.640
particularly the election of unrepentant Confederate

00:25:49.640 --> 00:25:52.519
leaders and the egregious Black Codes, proved

00:25:52.519 --> 00:25:55.240
to be a critical miscalculation by both Johnson

00:25:55.240 --> 00:25:57.890
and the South. When Congress finally convened

00:25:57.890 --> 00:26:01.069
in December 1865, Northerners, who had just fought

00:26:01.069 --> 00:26:03.369
a brutal war to end slavery and preserve the

00:26:03.369 --> 00:26:06.150
Union, were absolutely outraged. You can imagine

00:26:06.150 --> 00:26:09.589
they were furious. As a result, Congress immediately

00:26:09.589 --> 00:26:12.230
refused to seat the Southern legislators, effectively

00:26:12.230 --> 00:26:14.369
nullifying Johnson's presidential reconstruction.

00:26:14.619 --> 00:26:16.880
Which really raises the question, did Johnson

00:26:16.880 --> 00:26:19.460
truly misjudge Northern sentiment and the political

00:26:19.460 --> 00:26:21.460
determination of Congress to ensure that the

00:26:21.460 --> 00:26:23.920
immense sacrifices of the war had not been in

00:26:23.920 --> 00:26:27.000
vain? It seems so. His actions seem to have inadvertently

00:26:27.000 --> 00:26:29.200
solidified Republican opposition against him,

00:26:29.460 --> 00:26:31.200
rather than uniting the country as he had hoped.

00:26:31.660 --> 00:26:34.900
A massive misread. He absolutely misjudged the

00:26:34.900 --> 00:26:37.940
mood and the political will of Congress. The

00:26:37.940 --> 00:26:41.519
year 1866 marked a decisive, irrevocable break

00:26:41.519 --> 00:26:43.779
between Johnson and the Republicans, setting

00:26:43.779 --> 00:26:46.220
the stage for his eventual impeachment. Things

00:26:46.220 --> 00:26:49.980
really went downhill fast in 66. Illinois Senator

00:26:49.980 --> 00:26:52.259
Lyman Trumbull, a moderate Republican leader,

00:26:52.680 --> 00:26:54.839
had genuinely attempted to work with Johnson,

00:26:55.099 --> 00:26:57.420
skillfully ushering through Congress a bill to

00:26:57.420 --> 00:26:59.420
extend the Freedmen's Bureau and the first civil

00:26:59.420 --> 00:27:02.099
rights bill designed to grant citizenship to

00:27:02.099 --> 00:27:05.799
Freedmen. But Johnson, Johnson vetoed them. Steph

00:27:05.799 --> 00:27:08.299
asked in his belief that these were unconstitutional

00:27:08.299 --> 00:27:10.420
infringements on state sovereignty and hoping

00:27:10.420 --> 00:27:13.440
to isolate the radicals in Congress. He surprisingly

00:27:13.440 --> 00:27:15.819
vetoed the Freedmen's Bureau bill in February

00:27:15.819 --> 00:27:19.759
1866. This move, far from just isolating the

00:27:19.759 --> 00:27:22.599
radicals, delighted white Southerners, but genuinely

00:27:22.599 --> 00:27:25.640
puzzled and angered many Republicans, even moderates

00:27:25.640 --> 00:27:27.519
who had been inclined to support him. And then

00:27:27.519 --> 00:27:29.900
came the infamous Washington's birthday speech

00:27:29.900 --> 00:27:33.980
on February 22nd, 1866. the speech. Yeah, it

00:27:33.980 --> 00:27:36.420
was an impromptu hour -long address to supporters

00:27:36.420 --> 00:27:38.480
gathered outside the White House during which

00:27:38.480 --> 00:27:40.920
Johnson, with a remarkable self -absorption,

00:27:41.160 --> 00:27:44.480
referred to himself over 200 times. 200 times?

00:27:44.640 --> 00:27:48.259
Over 200. Far more damagingly in this unscripted

00:27:48.259 --> 00:27:51.380
tirade, he publicly attacked prominent Republican

00:27:51.380 --> 00:27:54.539
leaders like Congressman Thaddeus Stevens and

00:27:54.539 --> 00:27:58.059
Senator Charles Sumner, accusing them incredibly,

00:27:58.599 --> 00:28:00.980
of plotting his assassination. Accusing members

00:28:00.980 --> 00:28:03.680
of Congress of plotting to kill him. Yes. Republicans

00:28:03.680 --> 00:28:05.680
immediately viewed this as nothing less than

00:28:05.680 --> 00:28:08.339
a declaration of war against Congress. And one

00:28:08.339 --> 00:28:11.480
Democratic ally candidly estimated that Johnson's

00:28:11.480 --> 00:28:14.460
ill -advised speech alone cost the party 200

00:28:14.460 --> 00:28:16.500
,000 votes in the upcoming midterm elections.

00:28:17.299 --> 00:28:19.670
The political damage was catastrophic. That speech

00:28:19.670 --> 00:28:21.910
wasn't just a political disaster. It was a self

00:28:21.910 --> 00:28:24.769
-inflicted wound of epic proportions. And it

00:28:24.769 --> 00:28:27.190
was swiftly followed by another pivotal moment.

00:28:27.509 --> 00:28:30.549
His veto of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 on March

00:28:30.549 --> 00:28:33.049
27. Another veto. Johnson objected to the bill

00:28:33.049 --> 00:28:35.509
primarily because it conferred citizenship on

00:28:35.509 --> 00:28:38.269
freedmen when, in his view, 11 southern states

00:28:38.269 --> 00:28:41.230
were unrepresented in Congress, and he disingenuously

00:28:41.230 --> 00:28:43.069
claimed it discriminated in favor of African

00:28:43.069 --> 00:28:45.569
Americans. But within three weeks, demonstrating

00:28:45.569 --> 00:28:48.430
their newfound resolve and power, Congress overrode

00:28:48.430 --> 00:28:51.210
his veto. Huge moment. A truly historic moment,

00:28:51.349 --> 00:28:53.309
as it was the first time this had ever happened

00:28:53.309 --> 00:28:56.450
on a major bill in American history. This act

00:28:56.450 --> 00:28:59.890
is widely considered the most disastrous miscalculation

00:28:59.890 --> 00:29:03.109
of his political career, finally convincing even

00:29:03.109 --> 00:29:05.369
moderate Republicans that there was simply no

00:29:05.369 --> 00:29:07.970
hope of working constructively with him. The

00:29:07.970 --> 00:29:10.829
bridge was burned. The chasm between Johnson

00:29:10.829 --> 00:29:13.690
and Congress widened further still with the proposal

00:29:13.690 --> 00:29:17.069
of the 14th Amendment. This amendment, which

00:29:17.069 --> 00:29:19.710
Johnson vehemently opposed, was specifically

00:29:19.710 --> 00:29:22.069
designed to enshrine the key provisions of the

00:29:22.069 --> 00:29:25.130
Civil Rights Act into the Constitution, making

00:29:25.130 --> 00:29:28.269
them immune to future presidential vetoes or

00:29:28.269 --> 00:29:30.410
Southern legislative action. Making it permanent.

00:29:30.670 --> 00:29:33.509
Exactly. It extended citizenship to nearly everyone

00:29:33.509 --> 00:29:35.690
born or naturalized in the US, except Native

00:29:35.690 --> 00:29:38.150
Americans, penalized states that denied votes

00:29:38.150 --> 00:29:40.470
to freedmen, created new federal civil rights

00:29:40.470 --> 00:29:43.309
protections, and disqualified many former Confederates

00:29:43.309 --> 00:29:45.700
from holding federal or state office. And in

00:29:45.700 --> 00:29:47.900
a significant embarrassment to Johnson. Yeah,

00:29:48.180 --> 00:29:50.839
his home state of Tennessee, despite his opposition,

00:29:51.279 --> 00:29:53.880
was the first southern state to ratify the amendment.

00:29:54.480 --> 00:29:57.019
And Congress immediately ceded its delegation,

00:29:57.660 --> 00:30:00.339
further highlighting his isolation and the growing

00:30:00.339 --> 00:30:04.079
ineffectiveness of his policies. Ouch. His attempt

00:30:04.079 --> 00:30:06.519
to rally public support for his policies proved

00:30:06.519 --> 00:30:09.460
to be the final nail in the coffin of his presidential

00:30:09.460 --> 00:30:13.079
reconstruction. His national speaking tour, derisively

00:30:13.079 --> 00:30:15.160
dubbed the Swing Around the Circle by critics,

00:30:15.579 --> 00:30:18.180
was meant to garner public backing, but proved

00:30:18.180 --> 00:30:20.460
utterly disastrous. Oh, the Swing Around the

00:30:20.460 --> 00:30:22.859
Circle. It was bad. Johnson made controversial

00:30:22.859 --> 00:30:25.700
comparisons between himself and Jesus, engaged

00:30:25.700 --> 00:30:27.859
in heated arguments with hecklers from the audience,

00:30:28.240 --> 00:30:30.880
and delivered rambling, undignified speeches,

00:30:31.019 --> 00:30:33.619
actions that were widely deemed beneath the dignity

00:30:33.619 --> 00:30:35.799
of the presidency. Just cringe -worthy stuff.

00:30:36.000 --> 00:30:38.940
The tour backfired spectacularly, solidifying

00:30:38.940 --> 00:30:41.559
public opinion against him. The Republicans won

00:30:41.559 --> 00:30:44.680
the 1866 midterm elections in an absolute landslide,

00:30:44.920 --> 00:30:47.019
securing a supermajority, well over a two -thirds

00:30:47.019 --> 00:30:49.380
majority, in both houses of Congress. Which meant

00:30:49.380 --> 00:30:51.579
they could override any veto he threw at them.

00:30:51.940 --> 00:30:54.680
Precisely. This gave them unassailable control

00:30:54.680 --> 00:30:57.200
of the direction of Reconstruction, completely

00:30:57.200 --> 00:30:59.859
sidelining the president. He was basically powerless

00:30:59.859 --> 00:31:02.140
against Congress now. With the Republicans holding

00:31:02.140 --> 00:31:05.000
a commanding two thirds majority after the 1866

00:31:05.000 --> 00:31:07.619
elections, radical Reconstruction truly took

00:31:07.619 --> 00:31:11.019
hold in 1867, ushering in a period of intense

00:31:11.019 --> 00:31:13.440
legislative action and a direct, unprecedented

00:31:13.440 --> 00:31:15.640
confrontation with the president. Congress wasn't

00:31:15.640 --> 00:31:19.220
holding back anymore. On March 7, 1867, Congress

00:31:19.220 --> 00:31:22.079
passed the first Reconstruction Act, decisively

00:31:22.079 --> 00:31:25.470
overriding Johnson's veto. This landmark legislation

00:31:25.470 --> 00:31:28.109
fundamentally reshaped the South. It dissolved

00:31:28.109 --> 00:31:30.809
the existing Johnson -backed Southern state governments,

00:31:31.410 --> 00:31:33.450
divided the former Confederacy into five distinct

00:31:33.450 --> 00:31:36.349
military districts, each under martial law and

00:31:36.349 --> 00:31:38.710
led by a union general. Martial law in the South.

00:31:38.880 --> 00:31:42.240
Crucially, it established processes for new constitutional

00:31:42.240 --> 00:31:45.259
conventions, where African Americans were explicitly

00:31:45.259 --> 00:31:47.980
permitted to vote and serve as delegates, while

00:31:47.980 --> 00:31:50.559
many former Confederates were explicitly prohibited

00:31:50.559 --> 00:31:53.640
from doing so. Restoration to the Union was now

00:31:53.640 --> 00:31:55.720
firmly conditional on the state's ratification

00:31:55.720 --> 00:31:58.220
of the 14th Amendment and the establishment of

00:31:58.220 --> 00:32:00.400
Republican governments that protected civil rights.

00:32:00.980 --> 00:32:03.539
So, Congress is dictating the terms, completely

00:32:03.539 --> 00:32:06.970
bypassing Johnson. Past the very same day, also

00:32:06.970 --> 00:32:09.529
over Johnson's veto, was the Tenure of Office

00:32:09.529 --> 00:32:12.349
Act. Ah, the Tenure of Office Act. This becomes

00:32:12.349 --> 00:32:16.029
key. Absolutely central. This controversial bill

00:32:16.029 --> 00:32:18.150
stipulated that Senate approval was required

00:32:18.150 --> 00:32:20.349
for the firing of any cabinet members who had

00:32:20.349 --> 00:32:22.710
been appointed with Senate consent and for one

00:32:22.710 --> 00:32:25.650
month afterward. Its constitutionality was immediately

00:32:25.650 --> 00:32:27.970
questioned, particularly its applicability to

00:32:27.970 --> 00:32:29.990
Johnson's cabinet, many of whom were Lincoln

00:32:29.990 --> 00:32:31.869
holdovers who hadn't been initially appointed

00:32:31.869 --> 00:32:34.450
by Johnson himself. So was it even legal? Did

00:32:34.450 --> 00:32:36.829
it apply to Lincoln's guys? That was the million

00:32:36.829 --> 00:32:39.470
dollar question. This is where the stage was

00:32:39.470 --> 00:32:43.059
truly and dramatically set for the ultimate showdown

00:32:43.059 --> 00:32:45.079
between the executive and legislative branches,

00:32:45.660 --> 00:32:48.140
a battle over the very balance of power in American

00:32:48.140 --> 00:32:50.039
government. And the focal point of that showdown

00:32:50.039 --> 00:32:53.480
was none other than Secretary of War Edwin Stanton.

00:32:53.710 --> 00:32:56.970
Stanton, a complicated figure. Stanton, a Lincoln

00:32:56.970 --> 00:32:59.950
appointee, was an incredibly able and hardworking

00:32:59.950 --> 00:33:02.470
man, but notoriously difficult to deal with,

00:33:02.589 --> 00:33:06.029
highly opinionated and often abrasive. He, along

00:33:06.029 --> 00:33:08.569
with the general Ulysses S. Grant, actively worked

00:33:08.569 --> 00:33:11.069
to undermine Johnson's southern policy from within

00:33:11.069 --> 00:33:13.369
his own administration, essentially acting as

00:33:13.369 --> 00:33:16.269
an agent of Congress inside the cabinet. A spy

00:33:16.269 --> 00:33:19.009
in the cabinet, basically. Johnson himself had

00:33:19.009 --> 00:33:21.029
a very contentious relationship with Stanton,

00:33:21.450 --> 00:33:23.490
admitting he both admired his capable abilities

00:33:23.490 --> 00:33:26.410
and was utterly exasperated by his insubordination.

00:33:26.650 --> 00:33:28.630
You can imagine the tension. Stanton, for his

00:33:28.630 --> 00:33:30.990
part, refused to resign despite his public disagreements

00:33:30.990 --> 00:33:33.369
with Johnson and the clear rift between them.

00:33:33.569 --> 00:33:36.190
He dug his heels in. He feared that the president

00:33:36.190 --> 00:33:39.029
would appoint a successor who would reverse the

00:33:39.029 --> 00:33:41.390
reconstruction policies he and Congress supported,

00:33:42.109 --> 00:33:44.289
effectively undoing all their legislative efforts.

00:33:44.410 --> 00:33:46.849
So he saw himself as holding the line. Right.

00:33:47.000 --> 00:33:50.460
In August 1867, Johnson, determined to remove

00:33:50.460 --> 00:33:53.019
this thorn from his side, demanded Stanton's

00:33:53.019 --> 00:33:56.019
resignation. When Stanton defiantly refused,

00:33:56.559 --> 00:33:59.000
Johnson then suspended him, as permitted by the

00:33:59.000 --> 00:34:01.539
Tenure of Office Act for congressional recesses,

00:34:01.880 --> 00:34:04.680
and appointed General Ulysses S. Grant as a temporary

00:34:04.680 --> 00:34:06.619
replacement while Congress was out of session,

00:34:06.880 --> 00:34:08.639
hoping to resolve the issue more permanently.

00:34:08.860 --> 00:34:11.480
Trying to use a loophole, maybe? But this temporary

00:34:11.480 --> 00:34:13.800
arrangement quickly dissolved and led to even

00:34:13.800 --> 00:34:17.059
greater conflict. In January 1868, the Senate,

00:34:17.179 --> 00:34:19.619
upon reconvening, disapproved Johnson's suspension

00:34:19.619 --> 00:34:22.380
of Stanton and formally reinstated him, contending

00:34:22.380 --> 00:34:24.340
that Johnson had violated the Tenure of Office

00:34:24.340 --> 00:34:27.079
Act by effectively trying to sideline him. And

00:34:27.079 --> 00:34:30.639
Grant. He steps aside. Grant, rather than defying

00:34:30.639 --> 00:34:32.960
the Senate's decision and over Johnson's explicit

00:34:32.960 --> 00:34:35.659
objection to the decision, stepped aside, allowing

00:34:35.659 --> 00:34:38.340
Stanton to return to his office. This led to

00:34:38.340 --> 00:34:41.039
a complete break between Johnson and Grant, the

00:34:41.039 --> 00:34:43.800
popular war hero, a crucial political defection

00:34:43.800 --> 00:34:46.599
for the president. Losing Grant was huge. This

00:34:46.599 --> 00:34:48.760
sequence of events set the stage for impeachment.

00:34:49.480 --> 00:34:52.360
Johnson, now feeling completely defiant and cornered,

00:34:52.360 --> 00:34:54.579
took the drastic step of directly dismissing

00:34:54.579 --> 00:34:57.519
Stanton once again outright and appointed Major

00:34:57.519 --> 00:35:00.019
General Lorenzo Thomas to replace him. He just

00:35:00.019 --> 00:35:02.659
doubles down completely. Stanton, however, refused

00:35:02.659 --> 00:35:04.980
to leave his office, effectively barricading

00:35:04.980 --> 00:35:07.440
himself inside the War Department, turning it

00:35:07.440 --> 00:35:10.079
into a dramatic standoff. Stanton locks himself

00:35:10.079 --> 00:35:13.480
in his office. Seriously. Yes. On February 24th,

00:35:13.480 --> 00:35:16.079
1868, the House of Representatives, seizing on

00:35:16.079 --> 00:35:18.480
this clear challenge to their authority, voted

00:35:18.480 --> 00:35:23.460
128 to 47 to impeach Johnson, primarily for intentionally

00:35:23.460 --> 00:35:26.219
violating the Tenure of Office Act and for questioning

00:35:26.219 --> 00:35:28.340
the legitimacy of Congress itself through his

00:35:28.340 --> 00:35:30.880
fiery rhetoric. So impeachment it is. Eleven

00:35:30.880 --> 00:35:33.420
articles of impeachment were ultimately adopted,

00:35:33.719 --> 00:35:35.679
leading to the first presidential impeachment

00:35:35.679 --> 00:35:38.320
trial in American history. The Senate trial began

00:35:38.320 --> 00:35:41.960
on March 5, 1868 and lasted for an unprecedented

00:35:41.960 --> 00:35:45.460
almost three months gripping the nation. Chief

00:35:45.460 --> 00:35:48.300
Justice Salmon P. Chase presided over the proceedings,

00:35:48.719 --> 00:35:50.460
turning the Senate chamber into a courtroom.

00:35:51.000 --> 00:35:54.039
Hi, drama. Johnson's defense argued that the

00:35:54.039 --> 00:35:56.000
Tenure of Office Act didn't actually apply to

00:35:56.000 --> 00:35:58.360
Lincoln's appointees like Stanton, as they weren't

00:35:58.360 --> 00:36:00.460
his appointments, and that the president had

00:36:00.460 --> 00:36:03.429
the inherent right Indeed, the duty to test a

00:36:03.429 --> 00:36:06.349
law's constitutionality if he believed it infringed

00:36:06.349 --> 00:36:08.929
upon executive power. A constitutional argument

00:36:08.929 --> 00:36:12.190
versus a political one. Pretty much. At his counsel's

00:36:12.190 --> 00:36:14.730
insistence, Johnson himself remained silent throughout

00:36:14.730 --> 00:36:17.230
the proceedings, relying entirely on his legal

00:36:17.230 --> 00:36:19.710
team. Johnson, however, was far from inactive

00:36:19.710 --> 00:36:22.130
behind the scenes. He actively maneuvered to

00:36:22.130 --> 00:36:24.769
gain an acquittal, engaging in political horse

00:36:24.769 --> 00:36:27.590
trading. He reportedly pledged to some moderate

00:36:27.590 --> 00:36:29.929
senators that he would cease to interfere with

00:36:29.929 --> 00:36:32.690
congressional reconstruction policies and even

00:36:32.690 --> 00:36:34.690
promised to appoint the respected general, John

00:36:34.690 --> 00:36:38.130
Scofield, as his new war secretary, a move designed

00:36:38.130 --> 00:36:40.670
to appease concerns. So making deals to save

00:36:40.670 --> 00:36:43.699
his skin. A crucial factor in his favor was also

00:36:43.699 --> 00:36:46.119
the widespread unpopularity of his potential

00:36:46.119 --> 00:36:48.960
successor, radical Republican Senator Benjamin

00:36:48.960 --> 00:36:52.239
Wade, who, as president pro tempore of the Senate,

00:36:52.599 --> 00:36:55.219
was next in line for the presidency. Ah, the

00:36:55.219 --> 00:36:58.000
Wade factor. Exactly. Wade was seen as far too

00:36:58.000 --> 00:37:00.440
radical by many. And his ascension would have

00:37:00.440 --> 00:37:02.699
significantly complicated General Grant's own

00:37:02.699 --> 00:37:05.320
presidential ambitions, creating a powerful incentive

00:37:05.320 --> 00:37:07.619
for some to vote against conviction. Politics

00:37:07.619 --> 00:37:10.059
make strange bedfellows. And it all came down

00:37:10.059 --> 00:37:14.119
to a single nail -biting vote. On May 16, the

00:37:14.119 --> 00:37:16.320
Senate voted on the 11th article of impeachment,

00:37:16.679 --> 00:37:18.719
considered the strongest charge. The result was

00:37:18.719 --> 00:37:22.780
35 guilty to 19 not guilty. What? Precisely one

00:37:22.780 --> 00:37:25.219
vote short of the two -thirds majority required

00:37:25.219 --> 00:37:28.900
for conviction. Seven Republican senators crossed

00:37:28.900 --> 00:37:31.800
party lines to vote for acquittal, often facing

00:37:31.800 --> 00:37:34.880
severe political consequences for doing so. Career

00:37:34.880 --> 00:37:37.900
suicide for some of them. Subsequent votes on

00:37:37.900 --> 00:37:40.360
other articles yielded identical results and

00:37:40.360 --> 00:37:42.679
Johnson's opponents ultimately dismissed proceedings.

00:37:43.150 --> 00:37:46.630
What's truly fascinating here is just how incredibly

00:37:46.630 --> 00:37:49.610
close the outcome was and the profound implications

00:37:49.610 --> 00:37:51.929
it had for the separation of powers. Yeah, it

00:37:51.929 --> 00:37:54.289
really solidified the idea that impeachment should

00:37:54.289 --> 00:37:57.510
be for grave offenses, not merely political disagreement

00:37:57.510 --> 00:37:59.909
or policy differences, effectively setting a

00:37:59.909 --> 00:38:02.389
very high bar for future attempts. Absolutely.

00:38:02.889 --> 00:38:05.190
That razor -thin margin prevented a precedent

00:38:05.190 --> 00:38:07.150
that might have fundamentally altered the balance

00:38:07.150 --> 00:38:09.130
between the executive and legislative branches,

00:38:09.690 --> 00:38:11.949
perhaps forever weakening the presidency. Following

00:38:11.949 --> 00:38:14.190
the acquittal, Stanton relinquished his office

00:38:14.190 --> 00:38:17.170
on May 26, effectively ending the standoff. And

00:38:17.170 --> 00:38:19.869
the Senate, as Johnson had promised in his maneuvering,

00:38:20.130 --> 00:38:22.070
confirmed John Scofield as the new Secretary

00:38:22.070 --> 00:38:24.969
of War. The storm had passed, but the presidency

00:38:24.969 --> 00:38:27.199
was severely weakened. Beyond the relentless

00:38:27.199 --> 00:38:29.860
drama of reconstruction and impeachment, Johnson's

00:38:29.860 --> 00:38:32.139
administration did have other facets, particularly

00:38:32.139 --> 00:38:34.920
in foreign policy. Secretary of State William

00:38:34.920 --> 00:38:37.840
H. Seward largely ran foreign policy, much as

00:38:37.840 --> 00:38:40.519
he had under Lincoln, demonstrating a remarkable

00:38:40.519 --> 00:38:43.000
continuity. Seward was still pulling the strings

00:38:43.000 --> 00:38:46.360
there. Through quiet diplomacy, Seward successfully

00:38:46.360 --> 00:38:48.280
achieved the withdrawal of French troops from

00:38:48.280 --> 00:38:51.719
Mexico, who had installed a puppet emperor, Maximilian.

00:38:52.039 --> 00:38:54.920
thereby upholding the Monroe Doctrine and scoring

00:38:54.920 --> 00:38:57.260
a significant foreign policy victory for the

00:38:57.260 --> 00:38:59.639
United States. A solid win on the foreign stage.

00:38:59.940 --> 00:39:01.860
And of course, there was the famous Alaska Purchase

00:39:01.860 --> 00:39:05.199
in 1867. Seward, always thinking strategically,

00:39:05.699 --> 00:39:07.659
negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia

00:39:07.659 --> 00:39:11.079
for $7 .2 million, which, to put it in modern

00:39:11.079 --> 00:39:14.539
terms, is equivalent to about $162 million today.

00:39:14.840 --> 00:39:17.869
Seward's Folly. Right. He famously overcame initial

00:39:17.869 --> 00:39:19.989
Senate reluctance and public derision, where

00:39:19.989 --> 00:39:22.130
it was often sarcastically called Seward's Folly

00:39:22.130 --> 00:39:25.769
or Seward's Icebox. But as history proved, it

00:39:25.769 --> 00:39:28.250
was a strategic and territorial coup, adding

00:39:28.250 --> 00:39:30.789
vast natural resources and geopolitical advantage

00:39:30.789 --> 00:39:33.750
to the United States. Good call, Seward. On the

00:39:33.750 --> 00:39:36.090
domestic front, Johnson also signed the Southern

00:39:36.090 --> 00:39:39.550
Homestead Act in 1866, believing it would assist

00:39:39.550 --> 00:39:42.449
poor whites in acquiring land, though in reality

00:39:42.449 --> 00:39:44.989
few former slaves actually benefited from it

00:39:44.989 --> 00:39:47.489
due to various forms of discrimination and fraud.

00:39:47.929 --> 00:39:50.750
Intent versus reality there. He also signed an

00:39:50.750 --> 00:39:52.969
eight -hour workday law for federal employees

00:39:52.969 --> 00:39:56.130
in 1868, which was seen as a progressive move

00:39:56.130 --> 00:39:59.239
at the time. However, the good intentions behind

00:39:59.239 --> 00:40:01.820
that law were immediately frustrated as wages

00:40:01.820 --> 00:40:04.780
were simultaneously cut by 20%, leading to mixed

00:40:04.780 --> 00:40:06.980
results and failing to deliver on its promise

00:40:06.980 --> 00:40:09.599
for many. So kind of one step forward, one step

00:40:09.599 --> 00:40:12.079
back on that one. These well -intended reforms

00:40:12.079 --> 00:40:14.679
often struggled or were undermined in implementation,

00:40:14.880 --> 00:40:17.380
reflecting the chaotic environment of his presidency.

00:40:17.559 --> 00:40:20.940
Totally. As his term drew to a close, Johnson

00:40:20.940 --> 00:40:23.840
sought the 1868 Democratic presidential nomination,

00:40:24.260 --> 00:40:26.059
hoping to win the office in his own right, but

00:40:26.059 --> 00:40:27.900
he ultimately failed to secure it with ratio

00:40:27.900 --> 00:40:29.980
Seymour ultimately chosen as the nominee. No

00:40:29.980 --> 00:40:32.769
second term for Johnson. Nope. His clashes with

00:40:32.769 --> 00:40:35.409
Congress continued right to the very end of his

00:40:35.409 --> 00:40:38.250
administration. He notably delayed the official

00:40:38.250 --> 00:40:40.429
reporting of the 14th Amendment's ratifications

00:40:40.429 --> 00:40:43.389
by the new Southern legislatures, clinging to

00:40:43.389 --> 00:40:46.710
his constitutional objections. But Congress,

00:40:46.769 --> 00:40:49.429
again, overrated his resistance, forcing him

00:40:49.429 --> 00:40:52.789
to officially announce its adoption in July 1868.

00:40:52.909 --> 00:40:55.750
Still fighting it till the end. In his final

00:40:55.750 --> 00:40:58.579
months, Johnson, ever the Defiant One, issued

00:40:58.579 --> 00:41:01.219
a controversial final amnesty on Christmas Day

00:41:01.219 --> 00:41:04.760
1868, covering all Confederates, including Jefferson

00:41:04.760 --> 00:41:07.280
Davis, much to the outrage of many in the North.

00:41:07.679 --> 00:41:09.440
A final pardon for the Confederacy's leader.

00:41:09.619 --> 00:41:12.440
Wow. He also controversially pardoned Dr. Samuel

00:41:12.440 --> 00:41:14.059
Mudge, who had been convicted of involvement

00:41:14.059 --> 00:41:16.840
in the Lincoln assassination conspiracy and in

00:41:16.840 --> 00:41:19.059
a final symbolic act of defiance against his

00:41:19.059 --> 00:41:21.780
rival and successor, Ulysses S. Grant. He skips

00:41:21.780 --> 00:41:24.610
the inauguration. Johnson famously refused to

00:41:24.610 --> 00:41:26.969
attend Grant's inauguration ceremonies on March

00:41:26.969 --> 00:41:30.650
4th, 1869, leaving Washington hours before the

00:41:30.650 --> 00:41:32.949
incoming president took office, cementing his

00:41:32.949 --> 00:41:36.650
reputation as an outsider to the very end. So

00:41:36.650 --> 00:41:38.849
Andrew Johnson's presidency ended not with a

00:41:38.849 --> 00:41:42.090
bang, but with a symbolic snub, refusing to attend

00:41:42.090 --> 00:41:44.960
Grant's inauguration. After leaving the highest

00:41:44.960 --> 00:41:46.920
office, Johnson returned to Greenville, Tennessee

00:41:46.920 --> 00:41:49.559
where, surprisingly, he was met with large public

00:41:49.559 --> 00:41:51.980
celebrations and a warm welcome from his constituents.

00:41:52.380 --> 00:41:54.860
Back home, he was still somebody. But his private

00:41:54.860 --> 00:41:56.940
life remained deeply embittered by the tragic

00:41:56.940 --> 00:42:00.460
suicide of his son Robert in 1869, a personal

00:42:00.460 --> 00:42:03.219
blow amidst his public vindication. That's terrible.

00:42:03.659 --> 00:42:05.900
Yet Johnson was not one to fade into the background.

00:42:06.340 --> 00:42:08.539
Driven by a relentless desire for vindication

00:42:08.539 --> 00:42:10.420
and revenge against his political enemies in

00:42:10.420 --> 00:42:12.340
Washington, he immediately sought to return to

00:42:12.340 --> 00:42:14.800
the national stage. He couldn't stay away. He

00:42:14.800 --> 00:42:16.699
launched a Senate bid soon after returning home

00:42:16.699 --> 00:42:20.519
in 1869, losing by a single vote a truly agonizing

00:42:20.519 --> 00:42:23.079
defeat. He also ran for a special congressional

00:42:23.079 --> 00:42:26.320
election in 1872, again without success. His

00:42:26.320 --> 00:42:28.679
determination was almost superhuman. But the

00:42:28.679 --> 00:42:31.679
tailor from Tennessee was nothing if not persistent,

00:42:32.159 --> 00:42:34.460
utterly unyielding in his political ambition.

00:42:35.320 --> 00:42:38.340
In early 1875, with Reconstruction fading and

00:42:38.340 --> 00:42:40.139
African -American votes increasingly suppressed

00:42:40.139 --> 00:42:43.380
in the South, he campaigned intensely, appealing

00:42:43.380 --> 00:42:45.840
to the burgeoning farmers' grange movement and

00:42:45.840 --> 00:42:48.059
harnessing local resentments. And incredibly.

00:42:48.230 --> 00:42:52.010
He wins. On the 54th ballot by a single vote,

00:42:52.349 --> 00:42:54.730
he was finally elected to the U .S. Senate, making

00:42:54.730 --> 00:42:57.869
a remarkable political comeback. 54 ballots.

00:42:58.190 --> 00:43:01.190
Insane. He famously remarked, thank God for the

00:43:01.190 --> 00:43:03.809
vindication, seeing it as a personal triumph

00:43:03.809 --> 00:43:06.230
over his detractors. To this day, he remains

00:43:06.230 --> 00:43:08.550
the only former president to ever serve in the

00:43:08.550 --> 00:43:11.519
Senate after leaving office. Just an unbelievable

00:43:11.519 --> 00:43:13.940
capstone to his career. His comeback garnered

00:43:13.940 --> 00:43:16.199
national attention and added another unique chapter

00:43:16.199 --> 00:43:19.179
to his incredible life story. In his sole speech

00:43:19.179 --> 00:43:21.460
during his final Senate term, delivered on March

00:43:21.460 --> 00:43:25.039
20th, 1875, he lambasted President Grant for

00:43:25.039 --> 00:43:27.199
using federal troops in Louisiana's reconstruction

00:43:27.199 --> 00:43:29.519
government, vehemently arguing against federal

00:43:29.519 --> 00:43:32.840
overreach. Back to his old themes. Exactly. He

00:43:32.840 --> 00:43:35.940
famously asked, how far off is military despotism?

00:43:36.159 --> 00:43:39.219
and concluded, may God bless this people and

00:43:39.219 --> 00:43:42.619
God save the Constitution. A powerful, if brief,

00:43:43.139 --> 00:43:46.059
return to the national stage, echoing his lifelong

00:43:46.059 --> 00:43:48.679
constitutional convictions. Sadly, that remarkable

00:43:48.679 --> 00:43:51.099
return was short lived. Johnson died just a few

00:43:51.099 --> 00:43:54.619
months later on July 31st, 1875 at the age of

00:43:54.619 --> 00:43:57.719
66 after suffering two strokes at his daughter's

00:43:57.719 --> 00:44:00.219
farm. Gone just like that after fighting so hard

00:44:00.219 --> 00:44:03.219
to get back. Per his wishes, he was buried wrapped

00:44:03.219 --> 00:44:05.300
in an American flag with a copy of the U .S.

00:44:05.699 --> 00:44:08.260
Constitution placed under his head, a final poignant

00:44:08.260 --> 00:44:11.119
symbol of his enduring, if often conflicted,

00:44:11.280 --> 00:44:13.579
patriotism. His burial ground later became the

00:44:13.579 --> 00:44:15.639
Andrew Johnson National Cemetery. His historical

00:44:15.639 --> 00:44:17.719
reputation, though, that's another story entirely.

00:44:18.000 --> 00:44:20.500
It has undergone significant, almost kaleidoscopic

00:44:20.500 --> 00:44:23.340
shifts over time, largely mirroring broader changes

00:44:23.340 --> 00:44:25.699
in American society's understanding of race and

00:44:25.699 --> 00:44:28.179
reconstruction. Yeah, his legacy is really a

00:44:28.179 --> 00:44:30.599
moving target. Through the remainder of the 19th

00:44:30.599 --> 00:44:33.219
century and into the early 20th century, early

00:44:33.219 --> 00:44:35.380
historians often depicted him in contradictory

00:44:35.380 --> 00:44:39.010
ways, as an obstinate boar by northerners. or

00:44:39.010 --> 00:44:41.849
conversely as a flawed but sincere figure who

00:44:41.849 --> 00:44:43.949
genuinely tried to implement Lincoln's plans

00:44:43.949 --> 00:44:46.210
by Southern historians and figures like Woodrow

00:44:46.210 --> 00:44:48.429
Wilson. And then the Dunning School. Right. The

00:44:48.429 --> 00:44:50.389
Dunning School of Historians, which dominated

00:44:50.389 --> 00:44:53.369
American historical thought for decades, even

00:44:53.369 --> 00:44:56.889
celebrated him as a humane, enlightened and liberal

00:44:56.889 --> 00:45:00.070
statesman fighting scheming and unscrupulous

00:45:00.070 --> 00:45:03.090
radicals, a view now largely discredited for

00:45:03.090 --> 00:45:05.869
its racist underpinnings. But the mid 20th century

00:45:05.869 --> 00:45:08.550
brought a dramatic and much needed reevaluation.

00:45:09.010 --> 00:45:11.590
From the 1950s onward with a growing focus on

00:45:11.590 --> 00:45:14.010
the African -American experience and the burgeoning

00:45:14.010 --> 00:45:16.670
civil rights movement, historical views shifted

00:45:16.670 --> 00:45:19.230
fundamentally. The perspective changed completely.

00:45:19.449 --> 00:45:22.329
Johnson was increasingly seen as a successful

00:45:22.329 --> 00:45:25.070
saboteur of noble efforts to better the freedman's

00:45:25.070 --> 00:45:27.750
lot, and Reconstruction itself began to be viewed

00:45:27.750 --> 00:45:30.789
not as a period of misrule, but as a noble, though

00:45:30.789 --> 00:45:33.289
flawed, effort to integrate formerly enslaved

00:45:33.289 --> 00:45:35.909
people into American society and grant them their

00:45:35.909 --> 00:45:38.389
fundamental rights. Today, the consensus among

00:45:38.389 --> 00:45:41.250
historians is quite different and largely solidified.

00:45:41.989 --> 00:45:44.110
Andrew Johnson is consistently ranked among the

00:45:44.110 --> 00:45:47.010
worst US presidents. Yeah. usually near the bottom,

00:45:47.030 --> 00:45:49.889
if not at the bottom. Historians widely cite

00:45:49.889 --> 00:45:52.530
his complete mishandling of reconstruction policy,

00:45:53.150 --> 00:45:56.230
his bristling personality, and his mean and crude

00:45:56.230 --> 00:45:59.030
racism as factors that profoundly stunted his

00:45:59.030 --> 00:46:01.369
leadership during a time when clear, compassionate

00:46:01.369 --> 00:46:03.889
direction was desperately needed. Though some

00:46:03.889 --> 00:46:06.230
do acknowledge his rise. Right. Some acknowledge

00:46:06.230 --> 00:46:08.570
the miraculous quality of his rise from profound

00:46:08.570 --> 00:46:11.389
poverty and the immense, almost insurmountable

00:46:11.389 --> 00:46:13.730
difficulties of the era he had to confront. You

00:46:13.730 --> 00:46:16.030
can't deny the climb. His lasting impact, then,

00:46:16.130 --> 00:46:18.150
is often tied directly to the maintenance of

00:46:18.150 --> 00:46:20.670
white supremacy and his deliberate undermining

00:46:20.670 --> 00:46:23.230
of reconstruction, which, as our sources point

00:46:23.230 --> 00:46:25.550
out, would trouble the country for generations

00:46:25.550 --> 00:46:27.789
to come. That's the really tragic part of his

00:46:27.789 --> 00:46:30.869
legacy. Ultimately, Johnson's presidency is a

00:46:30.869 --> 00:46:33.889
powerful, perhaps even tragic, example of how

00:46:33.889 --> 00:46:37.349
individual prejudices, even when cloaked in constitutional

00:46:37.349 --> 00:46:40.530
arguments or appeals to states' rights, can profoundly

00:46:40.530 --> 00:46:43.489
derail national progress, leaving a legacy of

00:46:43.489 --> 00:46:45.750
racial division that echoed for over a century.

00:46:45.920 --> 00:46:49.239
So we followed Andrew Johnson's incredible, improbable

00:46:49.239 --> 00:46:51.719
journey from a self -taught tailor born into

00:46:51.719 --> 00:46:54.699
abject poverty to the leader of a deeply divided

00:46:54.699 --> 00:46:57.139
nation during its most challenging period through

00:46:57.139 --> 00:46:59.780
an unprecedented impeachment trial and ultimately

00:46:59.780 --> 00:47:02.420
back to the Senate. What a ride. His story is

00:47:02.420 --> 00:47:04.659
a powerful testament to personal resilience and

00:47:04.659 --> 00:47:07.599
ambition, but it's also a profound cautionary

00:47:07.599 --> 00:47:10.199
tale about the perils of inflexible leadership

00:47:10.199 --> 00:47:13.500
and deeply ingrained prejudices, especially when

00:47:13.500 --> 00:47:15.639
confronting fundamental questions of human rights

00:47:15.639 --> 00:47:19.260
and national identity. Indeed. From his unwavering

00:47:19.260 --> 00:47:21.320
unionism and his championing of the plebeian

00:47:21.320 --> 00:47:24.480
class to his deeply controversial and destructive

00:47:24.480 --> 00:47:27.039
approach to reconstruction and his unprecedented

00:47:27.039 --> 00:47:30.440
impeachment, Johnson's life was a series of defining

00:47:30.440 --> 00:47:32.699
struggles that continue to shape our understanding

00:47:32.699 --> 00:47:36.320
of American history. His unique personal history,

00:47:36.699 --> 00:47:39.559
his unyielding, stubborn resolve, and his deeply

00:47:39.559 --> 00:47:42.360
held convictions profoundly influenced the course

00:47:42.360 --> 00:47:45.239
of a nation trying to heal and redefine itself

00:47:45.239 --> 00:47:48.079
in the most turbulent of times. Okay, so we've

00:47:48.079 --> 00:47:50.139
seen how Andrew Johnson's life was a testament

00:47:50.139 --> 00:47:53.059
to sheer willpower and personal ambition, but

00:47:53.059 --> 00:47:56.139
also how his choices, especially his steadfast

00:47:56.139 --> 00:47:58.980
resistance to racial equality during Reconstruction,

00:47:59.559 --> 00:48:01.840
deeply shaped a nation struggling to redefine

00:48:01.840 --> 00:48:04.510
itself after a devastating war. Those choices

00:48:04.510 --> 00:48:07.230
had consequences for generations. It raises an

00:48:07.230 --> 00:48:09.409
important question for you, the listener, to

00:48:09.409 --> 00:48:12.329
consider. How do leaders, even those with seemingly

00:48:12.329 --> 00:48:14.409
good intentions for their vision of the country,

00:48:14.989 --> 00:48:17.570
grapple with or perhaps fundamentally fail to

00:48:17.570 --> 00:48:19.630
grapple with the essential human rights of all

00:48:19.630 --> 00:48:22.289
citizens, especially in times of profound social

00:48:22.289 --> 00:48:25.610
and political transformation? Hmm. It's a tough

00:48:25.610 --> 00:48:28.010
question. And what does that tell us about the

00:48:28.010 --> 00:48:30.030
responsibilities and challenges of leadership?

00:48:30.400 --> 00:48:32.820
even today, when faced with similar questions

00:48:32.820 --> 00:48:34.619
of inclusion and equity.