• The President's signature stamp

    Andrew Johnson

    National Historic Site Tennessee

The Military Reconstruction Act

Military Reconstruction Act

1. Johnson felt the Military Reconstruction Act was an "unconstitutional extension of federal power into areas of state jurisdiction."

2. Johnson felt that despotism would occur when the army had authority over elected civil officials.

3. Johnson felt that the Civil War had proven that the Union was indivisible, and that the Military Reconstruction Act was treating the southern states as though they were conquered territories.

 

Did You Know?

Johnson's gold snuff box

Delos Lake, CA District Attorney during Andrew Johnson’s administration, sent a snuff box to Johnson “made from the product of our State of California – the workmanship by one of our citizins, and the quartz gold forming the cover represents the mining District of Grass Valley.”