Tennessee Johnson

A runaway tailor's apprentice named Andrew Johnson wanders into Greeneville, Tennessee. He is persuaded to stay, begins trading his tailoring for an education from the town librarian Eliza McCardle, and the two eventually marry.

Spurred by injustice and his wife's support, Johnson begins organizing political meetings to challenge entrenched powers. One meeting is broken up by authorities and a friend is killed in the clashes that follow. He resolves not to let violence define the movement.

Encouraged to pursue public office, he runs for sheriff and wins the election. The role gives him a platform to push reforms and undermine the local power structure. His early success foreshadows a broader national career.

By 1860, on the eve of the Civil War, Johnson has climbed from local politics to the United States Senate. He becomes a central figure in the era's political realignments. His rise marks a dramatic transition from tailor's apprentice to national leader.

When war erupts, Johnson breaks with Tennessee's state leadership and remains loyal to the Union. He serves as a general and earns renown for defending Nashville during a siege. His actions help stabilize the Union's position in the Western Theater.

Abraham Lincoln selects Johnson as his vice president, in part because they share a philosophy of reconciliation with the South after the war. Thaddeus Stevens, a powerful opponent within the Republican ranks, argues for harsher terms for the Confederacy.

Following Lincoln's assassination, Johnson ascends to the presidency. He faces the monumental task of guiding Reconstruction while attempting to keep the Union intact and navigate competing political pressures.

Johnson refuses to accept a deal offered by Stevens, triggering impeachment proceedings. He largely avoids the trial for a time, following the advice of advisers who fear he might lose his temper if confronted on the stand.

With cabinet members denied the right to testify, Johnson is forced to confront the charges. The film stages a closing appearance in which he delivers a stirring speech, a moment presented as decisive though historically contested.

The impeachment vote is razor-thin, with 35 judged him guilty and 18 not guilty. Senator Huyler is unconscious and unable to vote at first, forcing Stevens to delay the verdict until he can be roused. Huyler ultimately votes not guilty, clearing Johnson of impeachment.

With his term as president over, Johnson returns to the Senate. The film closes on him triumphantly resuming his place among lawmakers, signaling a reconciliation between the executive and legislative branches.

Across his career, Johnson embodies a message of reconciliation with the South and tempered Reconstruction policy. The storyline emphasizes unity over vengeance and portrays his path from apprentice to president as a testament to compromise.