Of all the men who have served as President of the United States, Andrew Johnson was the only one ever to undergo the severe trial of impeachment. He was branded traitor because he upheld Lincoln's plan to return the eleven states of the defeated Confederacy to the Union. At his impeachment trial he was acquitted by a narrow margin, but history has proved that he actually preserved the Union when lesser men might have destroyed her. Against overwhelming odds, Andrew Johnson stood against Congress, his own political party, and the American press in defense of his beliefs.

At an age when most children were attending school, Andrew went to work as a tailor's apprentice. He taught himself to read and became a student of American History. At the age of eighteen he moved his family to Tennessee and opened his own business. There he married a lovely girl who encouraged him to take an active part in local politics.

Although an unschooled mountain boy, Johnson learned to speak eloquently on behalf of the working people he understood so well. He was concerned that a government of free men should flourish, and soon exhibited the courage and imagination of a leader. He was elected to public office and, as he gained experience and understanding, he moved on to represent his people in the Congress of the United States and as Governor of Tennessee.

As the Civil War approached, Johnson, a Southerner, campaigned so vigorously for a peaceful settlement of the differences, that he was forced to leave the South. At times he was very outspoken and made enemies, but he grew in stature as he assumed greater burdens, still refusing to compromise his beliefs. Recognizing Johnson's ability, Lincoln chose him to run as vice president in 1864, unaware that this champion of the common man would soon inherit the great task of preserving the Union for all.

Andrew Johnson's life is an exciting and inspiring account of an uncommon statesman who emerged from the grass roots of America to serve his country in her time of need.

From the dust jacket