Presidential Biographies | Andrew Johnson Administration - Foreign Issues

Foreign Issues

Reconstruction, and the political power struggle between the president and Congress left the Johnson administration little time for foreign issues. Much like President Abraham Lincoln, Johnson left U.S. foreign policy in the capable hands of Secretary of State William H. Seward of New York, while he battled Congress over Reconstruction. With the American Civil War (1861–65) over the United States was rapidly expanding, especially in the West. Most of the foreign policy initiatives of this period were to continue or support this expansion. Seward attempted to negotiate the purchase of a number of territories, including Cuba, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and the Virgin Islands. Most of his proposals failed, due in large part to the poor relationship between Congress and the Johnson administration. There were some successes, however, most notably with Alaska and China.