America’s Worst President

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How Andrew Johnson betrayed Lincoln and screwed America for a century.

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It's hard to criticize Lincoln for selecting Johnson as vice president in 1864. You don't run your campaign assuming that you are going to die in your next term.

TheStapleGunKid

No Abraham Lincoln actually make two big mistakes he choose Andrew Johnson as his vice president the biggest mistake is that he went to the theater

Mraguila

It's debated on whether James Buchanan or Andrew Johnson is worse. Yes, Lincoln gets to be sandwiched between the worst presidents in history. Not sure whether that's a coincidence or not

redjirachi

I'm using President Johnson as the villain in my next novel.

obscureentertainment

I agree Andrew Johnson was terrible but I think Slate's oversimplifying this. Johnson's actions did not end reconstruction, reconstruction wouldn't end until eight years After Johnson left the White House.

Moreover, Lincoln may have had a better reconstruction policy, but his approach probably wouldn't have gone nearly as far as the Congressional one. The 10% plan, which Johnson tried putting into effect was Lincoln's idea -- readmit any state where 10% of the population swears an oath to the Union and when the state legislature ratifies the Thirteenth Amendment. Lincoln began flirting with the idea of (partial) enfranchisement of Black voters towards the end of the war, but how would that have even happened if Southern Democrats (leading Confederate officials mind you) got sworn into Congress? '

Moreover, how would Radical Republicans have resisted Lincoln's "moderate" approach? Lincoln was a fellow Republican, and his stance may have been more palatable -- by enough degrees. Would the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments have ever been passed without a southern Democratic bogey man? One can never be sure. Would Congressional Reconstruction have been nearly as comprehensive without a Johnson to react to?

Johnson was sort of like Prince John --- failure from his vantage point, to enact his own agenda, helped the country progress, if only for a short period of time. That progress would be erased by the South's "Redemption" but as I said earlier, that wouldn't happen for another 8 years.

professorspf

Slate: Andrew Johnson is America's worst president.
Donald Trump: Hold my covfefe.

rebecca

Andrew Johnson's administration purchased Alaska from the Russians and admitted Alaska to the United States. Johnson signed the bill and made Alaska U.S. territory. That was one good thing about his presidency.

nickprice

Pierce, Buchanan and Andrew Johnson were awful because they did nothing in times of crisis. Wilson, Hoover, Lyndon Johnson and Dubya were awful because they created/exacerbated a crisis with bad decisions.

Awww

So basically because of this guy the Civil war was fought for basically nothing

visualkeifan

Personally. I think James Buchanan was worse.

And lol at all these "Trump's the worst" comments like give the guy a freaking break man.

god

Lyndon Baines Johnson is at the heart and soul of the bulk of this nation's issues; he is an embarrassment to TX and a national humiliation -- any all reference to that 'thing' needs to be canceled...

forgottenman

The reason I've heard he went with Johnson is to try and put southerners the south as he was from Tennessee but it didn't work

mrsmith

does anyone know who put forth the unconstitutional bill that was passed by both senate and congress?

joecitizen

Andrew Johnson Is Worst Even James Buchanan & Franklin Pierce

izsanchez

I wouldn’t say Andrew Johnson was the worst. I read he had a great sense of humor and loved a good joke. He also loved the great state of Tennessee. Now, how could you hate on a man who is a fellow Tennessean?

nightowl