Presidents Andrew Johnson, Grant, and Hayes

 

Presidents Andrew Johnson, Grant, and Hayes are remembered for serving during the Reconstruction period. This time was hard on these presidents because the South had trouble fitting in with the North due to the Union victory. These presidents did all they could to help reunite the North and South.

After the assassination of President Lincoln during his second term, vice president Andrew Jackson became the president of the United States. Johnson was born in North Carolina in 1808 to a poor family. At the age of 18, Andrew married Eliza McCardle who was only 16 at the time. She helped tutor him to improve his math and writing knowledge. Johnson worked as a tailor and mayor in Tennessee before he was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1835. In 1843 Johnson was elected U.S. Representative and later he was elected as the U.S. Senate. Although he was a Southerner, he was strongly Unionist during the Civil War. Lincoln selected Democrat Johnson as his vice president so they could appeal to both the North and South. A couple months after his inauguration as vice president, Johnson became the 17^th president of the U.S. Johnson and Congress did not get along well throughout his presidency. In 1868 tensions with Congress and Johnson began. After Congress passed the Tenure of Office Act in 1867, to protect Cabinet members from being replaced by Johnson, the president replaced Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. Due to this replacement, Congress put Johnson on trial for going against this act. The trail lasted 14 days and Johnson won. Throughout the rest of Johnson’s term, Johnson and Congress had several differences.

General Ulysses S. Grant became the 18^th president in 1869, and served two terms (1869-77). Grant was part of the Republican Party and he is remembered for leading the Union through the Civil War in several historic battles. During his first term, he maintained prosperity, but during his second term as president he had to lead the country through the Panic of 1873. Grant is remembered as a historical president, because of his fighting in the Civil War and being General of the U.S. Army (1864-69). Grant disagreed with Johnson’s policies, so he strongly supported civil rights through direct federal intervention.

Rutherford B. Hayes served one term (1877-81) as the 19^th president of the United States. Hayes was born in 1822, in Ohio. He served in Congress and the Army before becoming president. Hayes was allowed to have the votes from the Democrats during his election only if he would end Reconstruction and federal intervention in Southern politics. After the death of Lincoln, the executive branch lost much of its power, but Hayes’s policies helped expand its power. Hayes is best remembered for ending Reconstruction and restoring popular faith in the presidency.

These three hard working presidents helped lead the United States through this rough period with great strength. They fought for what they believed in and were not afraid to do what they believed was best for the country. These presidents helped shape the North and South into what they are today.