US President: Andrew Johnson

[Name of the Institute]

US president Andrew Johnson

Introduction

Andrew Johnson was our 17th President, taking charge of the office after the assassination of President Lincoln. A self-educated man, who spent the major part of life in the depths of poverty, became the most powerful man in the country. The country was in the state of sheer turmoil when he took office of the president. It was one of the most difficult times in the American history. After the civil war, Andrew Johnson was the first man for the presidential assignation. He was dealing with the reconstruction efforts following the death of President Lincoln. He also had to veto more bills than any previous presidents did.

The mayhem situation did not here, later he had to face the miseries of impeachment. Eventually, he was acquitted he granted Amnesty to the South including Confederate President Jefferson Davis. While his domestic affairs were in waddles, his foreign affairs were taking care of by then Secretary of State William H. Seward. Under the management of Secretary Seward, the foreign policies of the Johnson administration would acquire what is now Alaska. The administration also helped Mexico remove the French occupation of Mexico. Johnson's administration also repaired the poor relationship the U.S. had with Great Britain.

It is hard to believe that the person, who ran with Lincoln on his National Union ticket, took over the office as a president of the Super power of the world. The civil war concluded and the new President met with the challenges of reconstruction and restoration of the states to the union. He made plans which did not in favor the slaves unshackled during the civil war. Thus, he came in direct conflict with the Congress who was dominated by the Republicans. All the circumstances culminated in his impeachment making him the first president to face this act. However, he was acquitted by one vote. Born in poverty somewhere in North Carolina, he initially earned his bread and butter as a tailor. Situation changed and he became the mayor of Tennessee in 1835 following his seat in the federal House of Representatives. This was the beginning of his political career which concluded as a president of the United States of America.

The following paper is a brief in-depth analysis of his domestic and foreign policy and how they affected the evolution of the executive office. It also encompasses both a historical and institutional understanding of the president and the challenges he faced, their strengths and weakness, and their contribution to the office. Highlighting the political situation during Reconstruction, the study endeavors to explain the choices and opportunities he had in relation to the governance of the country.

Johnson as a Leader

To understand the leadership of Andrew Johnson, it is pertinent to shed some light on the hindrances he had to confront during the trying time of the American history. His efforts to give back the southern states to Union politics and save the northern republicans from inflicting punishment ...