BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Joan of Arc 25
against Joan. In 1920 the Roman
Catholic church made Joan a saint.
#More to explore
France • Saint
Johnson, Andrew
Andrew Johnson became president of
the United States in 1865, when Abraham
Lincoln was assassinated. Johnson’s
biggest challenge was the rebuilding of
the Southern states, which had just lost
the American CivilWar.
Early Life
Andrew Johnson was born in Raleigh,
North Carolina, on December 29, 1808.
His father, Jacob Johnson, died when
Andrew was young. His mother, Mary
McDonough Johnson, worked as a spinner
and a weaver.
In 1826 the poor family moved to
Greeneville, Tennessee, where Johnson
opened a tailor shop. At age 18 he married
Eliza McCardle. The couple had
five children.
Political Career
Johnson served as mayor of Greeneville.
In 1835 he entered the Tennessee legislature.
In 1843 he began the first of five
terms in the U.S. House of Representa-
December 29, July 31,
1808 1853 1864 1865 1868 1869 1875
Johnson is born
in Raleigh,
North
Carolina.
Johnson
becomes
governor of
Tennessee.
Johnson is
elected vice
president under
President
Abraham
Lincoln.
Johnson
becomes
president after
Lincoln is killed.
Congress
impeaches
Johnson but
finds him not
guilty.
Johnson retires
from the
presidency.
Johnson dies
in Tennessee.
T I M E L I N E
Andrew Johnson was the 17th president of
the United States.
26 Johnson, Andrew BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
tives. Afterward he served two terms as
governor of Tennessee. In 1857 he
entered the U.S. Senate.
After Abraham Lincoln became president
in 1860, Johnson was the only
Southern senator who did not resign in
protest. Many people in the South disagreed
with Lincoln over the issue of
slavery. They were afraid that Lincoln
would try to end slavery. This soon led
to the CivilWar. Johnson, however,
sided with the Union, not the Southern
states. Lincoln appointed him military
governor of Tennessee in 1862.
Johnson was a Democrat, but in the
1864 election the Republicans chose
him to run as Lincoln’s vice president.
The party hoped to win the votes of
Democrats who supported the Union.
Lincoln and Johnson won easily.
Presidency
When Lincoln was assassinated on April
14, 1865, Johnson became president.
The CivilWar was over, and Johnson
had to rebuild the Union—a process
called Reconstruction. He spent much
of his term struggling with the Republicans
in Congress.
The Republicans set harsh rules for letting
Southern states back into the
Union. They also wanted to ensure civil
rights for freed slaves. Johnson did not
want to punish the South or give blacks
the right to vote. He vetoed, or rejected,
Congress’s acts. However, Congress
overrode the vetoes, or passed the acts
with a large majority of votes.
Congress also passed a law preventing
the president from firing government
officers. When Johnson fired his secretary
of war, the House of Representatives
voted to impeach Johnson (put
him on trial) for breaking the law.
Johnson was the first U.S. president to
be impeached. The Senate found
Johnson not guilty.
Last Years
Johnson left office in 1869 and returned
to Tennessee. In 1875 he reentered the
U.S. Senate. He died soon afterward, on
July 31, 1875.
#More to explore
American CivilWar • Lincoln, Abraham
• Reconstruction • United States
Johnson, Jack
Jack Johnson was the first African
American to win the heavyweight boxing
championship of the world. He was
famous during a time of great uneasiness
Jack Johnson
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Johnson, Jack 27
between blacks and whites. Many white
people hated Johnson for being successful.
They criticized him unfairly.
John Arthur (Jack) Johnson was born in
Galveston, Texas, on March 31, 1878.
He dropped out of school after the fifth
grade. He began boxing professionally in
1897.
Johnson won the heavyweight title in
1908. He defeated Tommy Burns in a
fight in Australia. Johnson lost the title
in 1915, when JessWillard knocked him
out after 26 rounds.
Johnson’s professional career lasted until
1928. In that time he fought more than
100 matches. He was knocked out only
three times.
In 1912 Johnson broke a law by crossing
a state line with his bride before they
were married. He was sentenced to a
year in prison. To avoid jail, he fled to
Canada disguised as a member of a
black baseball team. Johnson returned to
serve his sentence in 1920.
After his release from prison, Johnson
boxed sometimes. He also performed in
carnival acts. He eventually owned his
own supper club.
On June 10, 1946, Johnson was killed
in an automobile accident in Raleigh,
North Carolina. He was inducted into
the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954.
#More to explore
Boxing
Johnson,
Lyndon B.
Lyndon B. Johnson became president of
the United States in 1963, when John F.
Kennedy was assassinated. During his
presidency Johnson introduced important
social laws, including a civil rights
bill. He is also remembered for expanding
U.S. involvement in the Vietnam
War.
Early Life
Lyndon Baines Johnson was born on
August 27, 1908, on a farm near
Stonewall, Texas. He was the oldest of
five children. His father, Sam Ealy
Johnson, Jr., was a businessman and a
member of the Texas legislature. His
