— Ch. 1 · Humble Origins And Early Life —
Andrew Johnson.
~7 min read · Ch. 1 of 7
Andrew Johnson was born in a two-room shack in Raleigh, North Carolina, on the 29th of December 1808. His parents Jacob and Mary were illiterate tavern servants who struggled to survive poverty. Jacob died when Andrew was three years old while ringing the town bell after rescuing drowning men. Mary worked as a washerwoman to support her family of four children. The occupation brought social stigma because it required entering other homes unaccompanied. One of James Selby's employees taught young Andrew rudimentary literacy skills while he worked as an apprentice tailor at age ten. Citizens would come to Selby's shop to read aloud to tailors as they threaded needles and cut cloth. These readings instilled a lifelong love of learning in the boy who never attended formal school. At fifteen, Andrew ran away from his apprenticeship with his brother William. A reward notice offered ten dollars for their return. They traveled through Carthage and Laurens before moving west to Tennessee. He fell in love with Greeneville upon arrival and later purchased the land where he first camped. There he established a successful tailoring business that allowed him to hire help and invest in real estate.
Political Rise In Tennessee
Johnson helped organize a Mechanics' ticket in the 1829 Greeneville municipal election. He won election as town alderman alongside friends Blackston McDannel and Mordecai Lincoln. Following Nat Turner's Rebellion in 1831, a state convention passed new provisions disenfranchising free people of color. Johnson spoke widely for adoption of the new constitution which provided statewide exposure. On the 4th of January 1834, fellow aldermen elected him mayor of Greeneville. In 1835, he won election to the Tennessee House of Representatives by a near-two-to-one margin. Hans L. Trefousse noted that Johnson demolished opposition in debate during this campaign. He joined the Tennessee Militia as a member of the 90th Regiment and attained the rank of colonel. After losing reelection in 1837, Johnson would not lose another race for thirty years. He ran as a Democrat in 1839 after initially seeking the Whig nomination. By 1841, he served a two-year term in the Tennessee Senate. His tailoring business prospered enabling him to hire help and invest profitably in real estate. He sold his shop to concentrate on politics while acquiring additional property including a farm where his mother resided.