• The President's signature stamp

    Andrew Johnson

    National Historic Site Tennessee

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  • Road and Parking Lot Resurfacing

    For the next couple of weeks, road and parking lot repair and resurfacing will be taking place at the park. Be aware that conditions will vary and driving/parking accessibility to some of the site units will be altered.

The Freedmen's Bureau Bill

Freedmen's Bureau Bill

First Veto:

1. Johnson was opposed to the use of the military during peacetime.

2. Johnson felt the Bill was a Federal encroachment into state matters.

3. Johnson felt this was "class legislation" for a particular segment of society that:

a. Would keep the ex-slaves from being self-sustaining, and

b. Had not been done for struggling whites (like he had been as an ex-apprentice).

4. Johnson did not feel that Congress should be making these decisions for unrepresented states.

Second veto:

Johnson's second objections were the same as his first.

Did You Know?

cable portion

A successful transatlantic cable was completed in 1866. This connected America and England by telegraph and helped tremendously with international communications. The original cable, completed in 1858, worked only three weeks. The Civil War and financial troubles interrupted the effort until 1865.