Andrew+Johnson





//**Name:**// Andrew Johnson //**Gender:**// Male //**Occupation:**// Tailor, Member of the U.S. House of Representative, governor, senator, vice president, president If in politics, what was your occupation prior to that: (above) //**Appearance:**// White, long round nose, old, has a little bit of gray hair, hair is pretty long: //**Past/Individual and family history:**// His parents were almost illiterate. After his father died, his mother and his step-father apprenticed Johnson and his brother William to a local tailor. There he ran away for a few years and later returned to his mother. Then his family moved to Tennessee and Johnson worked as a tailor there and met his wife, Eliza McCardie. She helped educate him and later on she suffered from tuberculosis. **//Family://** Father (Jacob Johnson), mother (Mary McDonough), brother (Williams), wife (Eliza), 5 children: Martha, Charles, Mary, Robert, and Andrew Jr. //**Religion:**// Christian //**Conflicts/Enemies:**// When he was the Senate of Tennessee, he remained in the Senate when Tennessee seceded which made him a hero up in the North, however he became a traitor down in the South.
 * //Age://** 42
 * //Social Class://** Low class to High class?
 * //Financial Situation://** Family poor, he's... I'm guessing pretty wealthy
 * //Location://** Tennessee (1843-1853) - being a member of the U.S. House of representatives
 * //Daily Routine://** participated in debates, supported the "free farm for the poor" bill (which is giving free land to poor farmers)
 * //Personality/Quirks/Unique Personality Traits://** an advocate for the "free farm for the poor" bill, he's an aggressive stump speaker, and at times he responded to hecklers. He is also an honest and honorable man.
 * //Social relations with others://** worked with Abraham Lincoln
 * //Education://** He was self-educated, when he was 13 he was apprenticed to a tailor and later on was employed as a tailor, later as an alderman of Tennessee, etc. Andrew Johnson didn't master the basics of writing, reading, grammar, or math until he met his wife when he was 17.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Johnson http://www.infoplease.com/biography/us/congress/johnson-andrew.html http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/andrewjohnson http://www.impeach-andrewjohnson.com/ http://www.nps.gov/anjo/historyculture/slaves.htm


 * Journal #1** - The time frame is sometime during the year 1850. Consider all of the things that have taken place during the previous five years (Mexican-American War, Mexican Cession, Wilmot Proviso, Compromise of 1850, Fugitive Slave Act). You are free to write about any one (or more) of these things in your journal entry. Be sure to include your actions in response to one (or more) of these events.

I am Andrew Johnson and it has been quite awhile since I've left my job as a tailor. I have entered the world of politics, thanks to my beautiful wife, and I am currently a member of the House of Representatives and a Senate of Tennessee. During my time as a member of the House of Representatives, I came to realize the issues of farmers. There is simple not enough land for all the farmers living in America and something needs to be changed. Wealthy farmers such as a Southern Plantation Owner should give up some of their land to poorer farmers who have nothing. For the past few years I have been out speaking against the wealthy planter elite families who have political control and supporting numerous yeomen farmers and mountaineers. People should be given equal chances to succeed. However, if there's a huge division between the poor farmers and wealthy farmers, such as that one southern plantation owner who own around 150 slaves, then there would be no chance at all. If there is going to be such a division, they should be completely separate. There should be a separate mountain state for those poorer regions of Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia. I also strongly believe that the homestead legislation should grant free western land to the settlers.

Putting aside the problems of the poor farmers, another issue that is disturbing are the slaves. Why are the whites going for antislavery? There shouldn't be an antislavery petition. The House of Representatives need to understand the situation we're in. More laws such as the Fugitive Slave Law should be passed more often. Laws like these would teach those slaves a lesson not to runaway. I have also heard there's a free African American up in the North of America.

**Journal #2 -** The year is now 1852. Continue your story as you began in Journal #1. For this journal entry and all subsequent entries, you must interact with at least two other characters in each journal entry. When you interact with another character, provide a hyperlink to that character's page in your journal entry.

A few days ago, I had lunch with Stephen Douglas. Now we had an interesting conversation about pro-slavery and antislavery. Although he’s against slavery, he believes it is best for the states to practice popular sovereignty. Now if the people within each state decides on whether or not they should allow slavery, there would and should be more states wanting slavery.

Next year, I am planning to take an extra step. Seeing Abraham Lincoln, I couldn't bear to tell him the truth about myself. He's against slavery. Although, those blacks don't deserve to see the sunlight, I just agreed with Lincoln. After discussing political issues with Lincoln, I realized everything he said was right. He would make a great president for all of us.

I don’t understand why people are for antislavery. Without them and their labor, we wouldn’t have made it this far. No cotton, no money, nothing. And yet, the people don’t realize this. They want to free them! And why focus on slaves who aren’t ‘our people’? We need to focus on those who were born here, our white men. We have farmers who have no land and may starve to death; yet, people are more focused on slavery. We should leave the issue of slavery alone because it’s not as important as our own men. We need more advocates for ‘a free farm for the poor’ bill.

After humiliating myself by losing my seat as a House of Representatives, I decided to reach for another high position to redeem myself. I plan on running for governor of Tennessee next year. I talked to my dear Eliza about it and at first she wasn’t so sure because she’s just given birth to another beautiful child, Andrew Jr. However, after talking to her about it, we came to a conclusion and she’ll help me out, like she has always done. Lincoln also supports me with this idea. If he supports me, then I'm bound to win this position.

**Journal #3 -** It's 1854... the Kansas-Nebraska Act has passed. Squatters are now moving into Kansas in an attempt to sway the vote. Continue your story...

My baby Andrew Jr. has finally turned two. It's amazing how children grow up so fast. It feels like it was just yesterday when my beloved Eliza gave birth to our first, Martha in 1828. Now, our fifth child is two years old. I'm so proud of how my children are growing up. Hopefully, they'll be like me in the future and hold the same political beliefs. No, they should hold the same beliefs as me.

After having a deep conversation over lunch with Stephen Douglas, my strong beliefs about slavery hindered. Is popular sovereignty the best decision in order to maintain peace with the North? I mean obviously it's going to be hard to abolish slavery in the South because slavery is what makes our nation prosper. I have slaves of my own and it's not like I torture them. We bond like a family and I even bought Dolly's half-brother Sam. At least I am caring to buy Dolly's family instead having them separated like one free African-American slave in the North and his family down South. Dolly is a slave I bought twelve years ago. Like I said, time flies by fast. Anyway, I’ve grown a relationship with my slaves and it’s not true what other people say. We don’t torture them, well I don’t. I wrote a letter to one of my other sons, Robert, and told him that I bought a basket and some other little notions for Andrew Jr. as well as a little chair for Liz and Florence. Liz and Florence are the children of Dolly and they’re six and eights years old right now.

Anyhow, the Kansas-Nebraska Act was designed by a good old friend, Stephen Douglas. I wonder what Lincoln’s response is going to be. Although I am for him, I believe this Act was a great idea. Now squatters are moving into Kansas and this would help Kansas become a pro-slave state. I think this Act is beneficial for both the North and the South, it’s a win-win situation. We Southerners are able to expand slavery into new states while the people in the North have the right to abolish slavery in the North, basically the states that already abolished slavery.

**Journal #4 -** It's now 1856. Bleeding Kansas has just taken place and John Brown emerged on to the scene. Buchanan was just elected as the US President. Dred Scott is arrested and is about to be brought to trial. Continue your story.

I must admit, things are getting quite out of hand lately. There is only one thing to describe this year thus far: hectic. I fear that the division between us Southerners and the Northerners are growing rapidly. What I'm worried about is my relation with Abraham Lincoln. I mean after all, he's a man with a great future ahead of him, although he has a firm belief that slavery should be abolished. First, Charles Sumner was attacked by Preston Brooks. Brooks hit Sumner on the head with a cane because of their different point of views. Though I respect this man, since he's for slavery, this was a bit too much. What will the children think of us in the future. Barbarians? This isn't the just way to solve things.

Not only was the issue between Sumner and Brooks a problem, but also John Brown. What a foolish man, he is. People are starting to have their place set: either they are for slavery or they're against it. Why not both? I mean, if they don't want to have slaves, don't own any and if they want slaves, have your own slaves. What's the big problem? I think John Brown went a little overboard, killing five people because of slavery. This issue on slavery is going out of hand. Why don't they have these strong feelings and ideas towards our own people. There are farmers who are suffering; yet, people are focusing on how much the slaves are suffering. All slaves aren't even suffering. The slaves that I own are content and they're part of my family. I asked them if they wanted freedom and if they did, I would set them free; nevertheless, they said they wanted to stay with me, my wife, and my children.

Another issue I'd like to bring up is Dred Scott. He went to court and had issues settled within the hands of Judge Taney. Scott is supposedly a freeman after his owner took him to a free state and then afterward died. However, there is a lot of controversy over this issue. It is not my place to judge Scott or anything related to this matter; however, he is not a full citizen and therefore he should still obey what we order him to do. If they say he's not free, then he isn't. It isn't his place to state his freedom; his owner is dead and his owner handed Scott to his wife. Issue solved: Scott should stay as a slave since he's still in the hands of his owner's wife.

Anyway, slavery is becoming a big issue and what is our newly elected President doing? Nothing. James Buchanan should at least ameliorate the tension between the North and the South. I think it was a mistake having him as our president. We need a man who has a plan and who is a man of action, like Abraham Lincoln. He's the ideal president and I would be more than happy to work under him and assist him in whatever he needs, despite the fact that he has different beliefs on slavery.

**Journal #5** - The year is 1860. Lincoln was just elected as US President, prompting South Carolina to secede. Write the next chapter in your story.

Time has elapsed. And three years ago, I've decided to run for the United States Senator and I have won the position. I feel powerful. I start to step up another step as the years go on.

There is great news to be shared as well as bad news. I'll start off with the bad news. My dear old friend, Stephen Douglas has lost the election. Though he did win with the second most votes, he fell in the electoral votes. I will be visiting him soon to comfort him and have a nice talk like we did awhile back.

Finally, with the good news. Abraham Lincoln is finally the president of our great nation. I knew this day would come. Though this is great news, this is also tragic for us citizens in the South. Although I truly believe Lincoln will do great things for us and for our future, I'm afraid he may abolish slavery once and for all. That is my only concern. The Southerners are appalled and are outraged after hearing that Lincoln is our new president. People are already having talks about seceding and separating ourselves, the South, from the Union. This is something I cannot follow. This is destroy my position. I will do whatever it takes to help Lincoln out and I will continue to participate in the Congress; after all, I made it this far. My hard work cannot go to waste.

Will I be a traitor to my own people? I mean after all, I have turned away from them by slightly agreeing with what Douglas had to say a few years back about slavery: popular sovereignty. Well, I am not. Damn the negroes, I am fighting those traitorous aristocrats, their masters. Not them. I have no hatred towards the negroes, in fact, I have my own slaves where they're treated almost like my own family. Our own people are causing madness. They do not realize it's the farmers we need to help, not the slaves. I don't know how many times I've stated this, but it must be recognized. Oh I hope someone would read my diary entries soon, for I am becoming helpless. Soon the Southerners may turn their backs on me because I disagree on seceding...

Oh, I hope I am wrong. Lincoln, help me please.