Why Did Andrew Johnson Become President

Before becoming president and enemy to the 14th amendment, Andrew Johnson was born December 29, 1808 in Raleigh, North Carolina (www.biography.com). When he was only three his father would die, leaving him, his broth William and their mother poor. His mother would remarry and Andrew and William would become their new step father’s apprentice. Consequently, Andrew and William would run away. After many tears Andrew and William returned to North Carolina, eventually moving the whole family to Greenville, Tennessee.

Tennessee Democrats would notice Andrew Johnson as a pugnacious debater, and in 1848 sent Johnson around Tennessee to campaign for house of representative. He would win in 1843(www.senate.gov). While Representative Johnson would be involved in debates with Whig Abraham Lincoln …show more content…
In 1856 Johnson was elected to the U.S Senate. As Senator Johnson spend most of his time from election to 1860 trying to get the Homestead Act passed, but was vetoed by President James Buchanan. When Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860, his vice president would be Hannibal Hamlin. Meanwhile other southern states were against Lincoln, Johnson chose to back him. (www.senate.gov).

Johnson would attempt to return back home to Tennessee in 1861, but realized the danger of being a supporter of Lincoln in a now Confederate state would return back to the Senate. He would become the only senate to remain loyal to the Senate from a confederate state. (www.biography.com).

After the fall of Nashville President Lincoln sent Johnson back to his home state to be the new governor in 1862. His strong support of the government above all would inspire him to favor the emancipation above supporting the war. The instructions for him were to get the emancipation into the Tennessee constitution, but it would take six months before he would be elected to state governor