Tracing a Tailor to the Presidency: Explore the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site
The Andrew Johnson National Historic Site is in the small town of Greenville in northeastern Tennessee. The park offers a fascinating look at the life and legacy of the 17th President of the United States. A visit to this site explores a turbulent era in our country’s history. It offers a unique perspective on one of the nation’s most controversial presidents.
Andrew Johnson: A Brief History
“No public man in the United States has been so imperfectly understood as Andrew Johnson. None has been so difficult to understand.” – Hugh McCulloch, Johnson’s Secretary of the Treasury
Humble Beginnings
Andrew Johnson was born into poverty in Raleigh, North Carolina, on December 29, 1808. After his father’s death, Johnson’s mother apprenticed him to a tailor at age 8, and he remained there until he turned 21. Unhappy, Johnson ran away in 1824 and traveled the South mostly on foot, honing his tailoring skills. He arrived in Greeneville, Tennessee, in September 1826 as a poor journeyman tailor.
It was here he would settle and find success. Within a year, he married the daughter of a local shoemaker named Eliza McCardle. Eliza is said to have told her friends, “There goes my beau, girls, mark it,” shortly after he arrived in Greeneville.
18-year-old Andrew Johnson and 16-year-old Eliza were married by the local justice of the peace, Mordecai Lincoln. This would ultimately be ironic, Mordecai Lincoln was the favorite uncle of future President Abraham Lincoln. This was in 1827, long before events that would forever shape their lives.
Eliza helped improve her husband’s ability to read and write during the early days of their marriage. Johnson was also a talented orator and was urged to run for public office as the voice of the “common man.” He did so in 1829 when he was elected a city alderman in Greenville.
“Yes, I have wrestled with poverty, the gaunt and haggard monster; I have met it in the day and night; I have felt its withering approach and its blighting influence.” – Andrew Johnson
This would mark the beginning of a 40-year career in politics:
- Mayor of Greeneville (1834, 1837)
- Tennessee State Representative (1835–37, 1839–41)
- Tennessee State Senator (1841–43)
- US Representative for Tennessee (1843–53)
- Governor of Tennessee (1853– 57)
- US Senator (1857–62, 1875)
- President Abraham Lincoln appointed him military governor of Tennessee in 1862.
- The National Union Party nominated him as Lincoln’s running mate in 1864.
- After Lincoln’s assassination, Johnson became the 17th president.
- He completed his term in 1869.
On July 30, 1830, he purchased a tailor shop at a public auction for $51. According to tradition, he rolled it on logs to its present location, where you can still see it.
“When I was a tailor I always made a close fit, and was always punctual to my customers, and did good work.” Andrew Johnson
After some success with his tailor business, Andrew Johnson bought two enslaved people, Sam and his older sister Dolly, in 1842-43. He would free them in 1863. They both chose to continue to work for the family as paid servants.
As you can see from the timeline above, Johnson rose through the political ranks during this time. But also maintain an independent streak.
A Pro-Union Southern Democrat
By 1860, the Southern Democrats had become the party of slavery; the Republican Party was formed in opposition.
Johnson was a Southern Democrat. He maintained he was for “a white man’s government,” but he was also staunchly pro-Union. In 1860, he gave a fiery speech on the Senate floor. “I will not give up this government … No; I intend to stand by it … and I invite every man who is a patriot to … rally around the altar of our common country … and swear by our God, and all that is sacred and holy, that the Constitution shall be saved, and the Union preserved.” This speech was received in the northern states.
The Civil War began on April 12, 1861. Tennessee, the last state to secede, did so on June 8. Johnson remained loyal to the Union and kept his seat in the US Senate.
He would be the only Southern Senator to remain in Congress after his state seceded. This stance earned him celebrity in Northern, mostly Republican, states and would help lead to his roles in Lincoln’s administration, including Vice President.
The “Accidental President”
When Lincoln is assassinated on April 14th, 1865, Johnson is sworn in as president the following day. He was the first President who was neither a military hero nor a law student. He was known in his time as the “courageous commoner” and an “accidental president.”
“I am sworn to uphold the Constitution as Andy Johnson understands it and interprets it.” – President Andrew Johnson
President Johnson, more often than not, disagreed with Congress on how to interpret the Constitution. During his tenure as President, Andrew Johnson vetoed more bills introduced by Congress than any other President before him.
Congress drafted several plans for Reconstruction with strict readmission requirements for the former Confederate states and extensive legislation to aid the formerly enslaved.
This led to immense challenges in leading the country through Reconstruction, as Johnson favored a more lenient amnesty plan for restoring the Southern states based on Lincoln’s wartime Ten Percent plan. Johnson’s plan would have allowed former Confederate leaders to return to power and place limits on federal authority during Reconstruction.
In 1868, the political opera climaxed when Johnson fired Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, a cabinet member appointed under Lincoln. Three days later, the House impeached Johnson for violating the Tenure of Office Act. The Senate later acquitted him by a single vote.
His policies and clashes with Congress led to his impeachment, though he was ultimately acquitted. Consequently, historians routinely rank Johnson as one of the worst presidents.
However, there were a few successes. During the Johnson administration, the United States purchased Alaska, annexed Midway Island, and established telegraphic communication with Europe following the completion of a successful Transatlantic Cable.
After he completed his term as President in 1869, he and his family would return to Greeneville that March after a seven-year absence.
Political Comeback
Despite being disliked by many on both sides of the aisle, Johnson’s political career was not over. After a couple of defeats trying to return to Congress, Johnson was reelected to the U.S. Senate in 1875. His political comeback made national headlines, with the St. Louis Republican calling it “the most magnificent personal triumph which the history of American politics can show.”
His unlikely return to politics would be short-lived. Andrew Johnson died on July 31, 1875, just a few months after assuming office as a Senator.
During his brief return to the Senate, he spoke once on the floor. In a speech, he criticized President Grant’s use of military troops to support Louisiana’s Reconstruction government. The former president questioned, “How far off is military despotism?” He concluded his speech with, “May God bless this people and God save the Constitution.”
He was buried with his wife, Eliza, in Greeneville, in what would become Andrew Johnson National Cemetery
“When I die, I want no more winding sheet than that of the brave old flag … and no softer pillow than the Constitution of my country.” – Andrew Johnson
Visiting the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site
We visited the historic site on a mid-winter morning. It was cool and mostly overcast outside. We parked on an empty street nearby.
We first stepped into the Visitor Center & Museum, which is a great place to start your visit. There are exhibits detailing Johnson’s early life, rise in politics, and controversial presidency.
Andrew Johnson’s Tailor Shop
Next, we made our way to Andrew Johnson’s Tailor Shop. When Johnson was first elected to political office as an alderman, meetings were held in the shop. It was here that Johnson paid people to read to him while he worked.
The original shop is preserved within a building to protect it from the elements. Today, the shop symbolizes his working-class roots and is where his journey to the White House began.
The Early Home
The Johnson’s “Early Home” is located near the Tailor Show. The small brick house was Johnson’s residence during his early years in Greeneville until 1851. It showcases period furnishings and provides insight into his family life before he entered the national political stage.
Exhibits around the house explain the rooms’ uses and the tasks of Andrew Johnson’s slaves.
The Homestead
The Homestead was Johnson’s later home. It was here that they lived before and after his presidency. It is filled with original furniture and artifacts from the Johnson family and is open for tours.
During our visit, we took a guided tour and were very impressed. There was no fee, but we did have to get a ticket to the visitor center.
The tour began on the homestead’s back porch. Walking inside the home, you are quickly taken back to what it was like when the Johnson family lived there. The house has been meticulously restored to its original state when Johnson lived there.
As we worked our way through the home, we saw President Johnson’s room, Mrs. Johnson’s room, the parlor, the dining room, the kitchen, and the guest and children’s bedrooms. The tour lasted about an hour and was certainly worth the time, with the park ranger offering insight into the home and President Johnson and his family’s lives along the way.
“Honest conviction is my courage; the Constitution is my guide.” – President Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson National Cemetery
After the tour, we drove a short distance to Andrew Johnson National Cemetery. The final resting place of Andrew Johnson and his family sits atop a scenic hill. According to his wishes, Johnson was laid to rest with his head on a copy of the US Constitution and his body wrapped in an American flag. This final request reflects his deep sense of patriotism.
The Andrew Johnson National Historic Site offers an up-close perspective on one of the nation’s most controversial presidents. His home provides deeper insight into his leadership, struggles, and legacy.
Planning Your Visit to the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site
- Location: Greeneville, Tennessee, about an hour’s drive from Knoxville
- Hours: Typically open daily (except major holidays); check the National Park Service website for current hours
- Plan on spending at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours exploring the historic site. There is more to see than you realize.
- Admission: Free
- Tour Tips: Guided tours of the homestead are available.
