Andrew Johnson
Former President of the United States[1]
- In office since
- April 15, 1865
- Left office
- March 4, 1869
- Born
- December 29, 1808
- Died
- July 31, 1875
- Religion
- Christianity[2]
Life phases1
One octagon for each phase of the life of Andrew Johnson. Each of the eight axes is scored 0 to 5 against a written rubric from documented evidence, with its source; an axis without evidence is a gap, not a zero. There is no total and no ideal shape: it is a profile, not a ranking. Appearance and personality are not axes, because they cannot be scored from evidence.
No total and no ideal shape: a longer spoke means more of that axis, so a long Misconduct spoke is more documented misconduct.
Scores, rubric and sources
- 01Education0 of 5
- High confidenceNever attended school; apprenticed to a tailor at about age ten and taught basic literacy by co-workers and his wife.[1]Highest attainment by then: 1 secondary school, 2 some college, 3 bachelor's degree, 4 master's or professional degree, 5 doctorate.
- 02WealthNo evidence
- Net worth or income against the national thresholds of the time: 1 below the median household, 3 top 5%, 5 top 0.1%.
- 03Position5 of 5
- High confidenceSeventeenth president of the United States, April 1865 to March 1869.[4]Scope of the role held: 1 entry level, 3 senior manager or legislator, 5 head of state or government, or the top role of a major institution.
- 04Public standingNo evidence
- Public approval or favourability where it was measured: 1 under 20%, 3 35 to 50%, 5 over 65%.
- 05HealthNo evidence
- Documented health where an examination or disclosure exists: 5 no documented concern, 1 a serious documented condition.
- 06Misconduct1 of 5
- High confidenceThe House impeached him on February 24, 1868 (126-47) over the Tenure of Office Act; the Senate voted 35-19 on three articles, one short of the 36 needed, and acquitted him. Resolved in his favour.[5]The documented legal and ethics record within the phase, as in the misconduct meter: 0 none documented, 1 only matters resolved in their favour, 2 an open matter, 3 one finding, 4 two or three, 5 four or more. More is more documented misconduct.
- 07Social good0.5 of 5
- Medium confidenceVetoed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Freedmen's Bureau bills (ten vetoes overridden), opposed the Fourteenth Amendment, and declined to intervene as Southern states passed Black Codes; Memphis and New Orleans riots against Black residents occurred under his policy. Historians rank him among the worst presidents.[4]Assessed effects of what they did in the phase on health, safety, education, rights and the environment, from official statistics or peer-reviewed evidence: 0 clearly harmful, 2.5 mixed, 5 clearly beneficial.
- 08Economic good2.5 of 5
- Low confidenceAlaska purchase (1867) and an end to postwar currency contraction in January 1868 with minimal inflation, but the national debt stood at $2.8 billion and the Southern Homestead Act yielded few patents for freedpeople; no growth figures, judged mixed.[4]Assessed effects of what they did in the phase on efficiency, growth and fiscal sustainability, from CBO and peer-reviewed evidence, as in the good-for-society reading: 0 clearly harmful, 2.5 mixed, 5 clearly beneficial.
Legal and ethics record1
Actions by courts, regulators and ethics bodies, each with where it stands. Reviewed October 11, 2026. Only documented official actions are counted: findings, penalties and settlements, and cases still open. A charge or an investigation is not a finding, cases that ended in the person's favour are listed as such, and it is not a judgment of character.
Health, weight and religion appear only where the person, their physician or a reputable outlet has published them; each links to its source.