The Peabody Award‑winning series profiling the men who have served as chief executive of the United States.

Andrew JohnsonView Program

17th President - Andrew Johnson
Born: December 29, 1808
Died: July 31, 1875

  • Personal
  • First Lady: Martha Johnson Patterson, Daughter
  • Children: 5
  • Education Level: No College
  • Profession: Apprentice of a tailor, Tailor, Military
  • Military Service: Brigadier General
  • Public Service
  • Dates of Presidency: April 15, 1865 - March 3, 1869
  • # of Terms: 1
  • Vice President: None
  • Party: Democratic
  • Vice President For: Abraham Lincoln (1865)
  • Senator: Tennessee (1857-1862, 1875)
  • House of Representatives: Tennessee (1843-1853)
  • State Legislature: Tennessee (1835-1837)
  • Other Offices: Alderman of Greeneville (TN); Mayor of Greeneville (TN); Tennessee House Representative; Tennessee State Senator; Military Governor (TN)
  • Did You Know?
  • He was the first president to be impeached and was acquitted in the Senate by just one vote.
  • He was 17 years old before his wife taught him to read.
  • He is the only president not to have any type of schooling.
  • He resisted Congress' efforts to pass punitive restriction acts over his veto.
  • Did You Know?
  • He was the first president to be impeached and was acquitted in the Senate by just one vote.
  • He was 17 years old before his wife taught him to read.
  • He is the only president not to have any type of schooling.
  • He resisted Congress' efforts to pass punitive restriction acts over his veto.
  • He is the only former president elected to the United States Senate.
  • Eliza Johnson taught her husband writing and arithmetic when they married. She remained loyal to her husband throughout his impeachment trial, declaring, "I knew he’d be acquitted, I knew it!"
  • His Secretary of State, William Seward, purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867.
  • "If the rabble were lopped off at one end and the aristocrat at the other, all would be well with the country."
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About This Series

The Peabody Award-winning series profiles the men who have served as chief executive of the United States. This website, created as a companion to C-SPAN's 20th anniversary television series, provides an in-depth look at each of the presidents, their lives, families and administrations.