President Andrew Johnson Essay, Research Paper

President Andrew Johnson as a Hero

When all think of a hero we immediatly think of someone who is strong,

intelligent, handsome and daring. Upon closer examination of a hero many

different qualities than these become apparent. Courage, honesty, bravery,

selflessness and the will to try are just a few of the overlooked qualities of

a hero. President Andrew Johnson, the only president to go through the impea-

chment process, was a hero because he embodied such heroic characteristics as

honesty, bravery, and intelligence.

Andrew Johnson began his executive career as Abraham Lincoln’s vice

president. The unfortunate assasination of President Abraham Lincoln is what

enabled Andrew Johnson to become our nation’s seventeenth president. Unable to

uphold the high standards set by Lincoln, a well educated lawyer and a presi-

dent who brought a victory in the Civil War, Andrew Johnson, a tailor by trade

realized he had to broaden his educational background. With great force Andrew

Johnson overcame his lack of education, by learning how to read, write, and do

arithmetic, with the aid of his wife.

After the Civil War the Republicans wanted to punish the southerners

for their part in the war, but like Lincoln, Johnson did not support them in

their plans. The radical republicans then plotted against their democratic

president by passing bills limiting the presidents powers. One example is the

Tenure of Office Act which stated that the president could not fire any of his

cabinet members without Senate’s approval. Johnson fired his Secretary of War,

Edwin Stanton. By doing this the republicans felt they had a case and could

impeach the president because of his willingness to go against Congress.

On February 24, 1868, the House of Representatives voted 126 to 47 to impeach

President Andrew Johnson. Over a period of two days eleven articles of

impeachment were adopted. Some of President Johnson’s charges included

violation of Tenure of Office Act, also known as Article 11, and conspiring

against the Constitution and Congress. During the impeachment trial one of

Johnson’s lawyers, wrote, on Johnsons behalf, “He is a man of few ideas, but

they are right and true, and he could suffer death sooner than yield up of

violate one of them.” (World Book Encyclopedia, 1990 edition, vol. 11)

The trial lasted three days, during this period of time in which Johnson’s

honesty and presidential actions were in question, he proved to be a man of

steel. He never showed emotions of panic, or dishonesty. He remained calm

and collected even while he was being accused of many outrageous things, one

even being that he was involved in the murder of Abraham Lincoln. On May 16

the Senate voted on the Eleventh Article, the vote turned out 35 guilty and 19

not guilty which aquitted Johnson by one vote. President Andrew Johnson had

been found innocent of all charges brought against him. It was then obvious

that the seventeenth president of the United States was a strong willed, and

brave man who had pulled through as a loyal presiden to his country.

After President Johnson completed his presidential term he did not let

the impeachment trials intimidate him. Instead in 1869 he plunged back into a

career of politics by running for US Senate, he lost by two votes. Friends and

supporters assured Johnson that bribary would change those two little votes.

Johnson, being a man of honesty did not even consider such a thing. In 1872

Johnson tried again, this time running for the US House of Representatives and

again he excepted defeat. Finally, in one last attempt, Johnson ran for State

Senate in 1875 and became the first president to hold an office after his

presidential term.

After all of the obsticles put in front of Andrew Johnson, the

impeachment trial and his lack of education, he never wavered from his beliefs.

After being accused of false actions he kept himself very calm stating only

the truth and never once losing his composure.