For Kids

A young visitor wearing some of the replica clothing holds a Tailor Shop shingle

NPS Photo

Welcome to the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site!

We are here to help you have fun while you learn more about the 17th President of the United States. Andrew Johnson was Abraham Lincoln's Vice-President, but before he became President after Lincoln, he did many things and served in many other political offices. Did you know he was apprenticed out to work at the age of nine? Or that he never went to school a day in his life? He was self-taught with the help of his wife, Eliza.

What is an apprentice?

An apprentice is a person who is learning how to do a job from a skilled tradesmen, having agreed to work for a fixed period of time. In return, Johnson was fed and clothed, but he ran away from his apprenticeship before his time was up - and had a reward posted for his return! Johnson started his own Tailor Shop here in Greeneville, TN.

Kids visting the Andrew Johnson NHS can find activities geared just for them. Ask a ranger or volunteer for a Junior Ranger booklet to learn more about your 17th president. If you are visiting us from your computer, here is a Virtual Scavenger Hunt you can mail in for your rewards!

Maybe you're homeschooling? We also have Curriculum Materials and a lesson plan on Morse Code to help you learn about Andrew Johnson and the history of his time.

Hear sounds in the Tailor Shop as you try on clothes similar to those children would've worn in Andrew Johnson's day! Note: This exhibit has been suspended during Covid-19.

What was a Tailor?

A tailor made clothes for men in the days before clothes were ready-made at big stores. A seamstress would make clothes for children.

Compare what the Tailor Shop looked like in Andrew Johnson's time to how it looks today - the state of Tennessee enclosed it in the 1920s to protect it from the elements!

 

Left image
Johnson's Tailor Shop in the 1800s
Credit: NPS Image

Right image
Johnson's Tailor Shop enclosed today
Credit: NPS Image

 

Civil War to Civil Rights

You can learn about "Civil War to Civil Rights" human interest stories with a set of our Civil War trading cards, which tell stories about people, places, and events that were important to Andrew Johnson's story.

There are ten cards in all that you can collect!

 

A young visitor casts her ballot at the Impeachment voting booth

NPS Image

Be a Senator for a Day

You can also "Vote as a "Senator" as you learn about Andrew Johnson's impeachment and take home a replica ticket to his trial.

What is a Senator?

Senators are elected people who decide the laws of a country. The people in every U.S. state vote for two people to represent them in the U.S. Senate in Washington D.C. These people are called senators.

What is impeachment?

To be impeached is to be accused of a crime. A President can be brought to trial for "high crimes and misdemeanors." The House of Representatives votes to impeach a president, and the Senate tries the case.