Andrew Johnson acceded to the presidency on 15 April 1865. He had been selected as President Lincoln's running mate to widen the Republican ticket's appeal. He was thus faced with the unenviable task of reconstructing the Union and he quickly found himself at loggerheads with the so-called Radical Republicans in the U.S. Congress. These Republicans were severely disappointed with Johnson's treatment of the southern states that had only recently seceded from the Union. Specifically, such Radical Republicans were disenchanted by the return of power to traditional white aristocrats and the enactment of certain Black Codes designed to suppress and control former slaves. For his part, Johnson felt that punitive measures in the South, wedded to a guarantee of universal suffrage, was not…

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Citation: Richert, Lucas Paul. "Presidency of Andrew Johnson". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 January 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=48, accessed 26 November 2024.]