| Birth: | Oct. 4, 1810 | | Death: | Jan. 15, 1876 | 
Presidential First Lady. She was born Eliza McCardle the daughter of a shoemaker in Greeneville, Tennessee. She received an excellent education. When sixteen, she met the future president Andrew Johnson who arrive in town opening his own shop. Two months later they were wed and set up housekeeping in the back of the shop both sewing and running the business. Johnson had been an indentured servant in North Carolina with no education. Eliza tutored him for ten years. He rose rapidly serving in the state and national legislatures. Loyal to the North, Lincoln appointed him military governor of Tennessee after the civil war. Their house was destroyed during the war, a son and their son-in-law perished in the fighting. While Vice President, he was catapulted into the White House with Lincoln's death. After the birth of her fifth child, Eliza developed tuberculosis and her health gradually deteriorated and upon arrival in the White House she was near an invalid and barely able to leave her room remanding her duties to her two daughters. He survived impeachment by one vote. During those difficult days Eliza held daily prayer vigils for his acquittal and dictated that all White House social events should continue. After their White House days, Johnson and his family returned to Greeneville. He ran for the Tennessee senate but lost however later was elected to the U.S. Senate but died a few months into his term. He was buried in a private grave on their property which became the Johnson family burial ground and later reverted to the federal government designating it a National Cemetery with provision any veteran was eligible for burial. It is now part of the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site with a visitor center and his tailor shop as well as his original residence and the second where the Johnson's lived after retirement and both died. The Site is well worth a visit. Eliza outlived her husband by six months and was interred beside him. (bio by: Donald Greyfield)
Search Amazon for Eliza Johnson | | | Burial:
Andrew Johnson National Cemetery
Greeneville
Greene County
Tennessee, USA |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Record added: Jan 21, 2001
Find A Grave Memorial# 19667 |
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(4.3 after 65 votes)
