Andrew Johnson Essay

The seventeenth president, Andrew Johnson was born on December 29th, 1808 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Andrew lived in a log cabin in North Carolina growing up with his brother and parents. Andrew's father was a hotel porter and bank janitor while his mother worked as a weaver and a spinner. Andrew Johnson's father, Jacob died when Andrew was three years old leaving him and brother, William with their mother, Mary leaving them in poverty. Soon after Jacob's death Mary remarried with Turner Dougherty. Andrew Johnson's parents were nearly illiterate and because of this Andrew as well had no basic knowledge of reading, math, or writing. At age fourteen Andrew's parents bound him and his brother as indentured servants to a tailor. They worked for food and lodging but 1824 they ran away, breaking their contract to the tailor. To make money afterward Andrew worked in the tailor's trade. Afterwards he then moved to Greeneville, Tennessee with his mother. While in Greeneville, Andrew became a tailor and set up his own shop where he met his wife, Eliza. When Andrew first met Eliza he had very little knowledge and Eliza would educate Andrew and helped him make farmland and town real estate investments. When they got married they had five children. All three of their sons died and their two daughters stayed close to them and became public figures in the White House. Their oldest son died in 1863 after being thrown from a horse, the middle son suffered from alcoholism and died from affliction in 1869, and the youngest son died at the age of twenty seven. His wife became very ill with tuberculosis and stayed in her room mainly as a semi-invalid. Andrew Johnson got into politics by the frequent gatherings for political discussion in his tailor shop. He joined a debate club at a small college and later with the experience from the tailor shop and debate club along with the encouragement from his wife, Andrew entered politics. Andrew Johnson was a