Presidential Biographies | Andrew Johnson Administration - Post-presidential Years

Post-presidential Years

In 1868, even though the Democrats had a sitting president in the person of Andrew Johnson, they chose not to nominate him for the presidency. Because of Johnson's record as president, the Democrats knew that they needed someone other than Johnson to face the Republican's nominee, popular war hero Ulysses S. Grant. Grant won in November 1868, and neither Grant nor Johnson wished each other's company at the inauguration. As a result, Johnson spent the morning of March 4, 1869, tying up loose ends at the White House and, just past noon, he entered a carriage and drove off.

Johnson returned to a...