What were Andrew Johnson's problems?

Answer 1

Johnson was in an almost hopeless position when he was suddenly thrust into the presidency. He was from the slave state of Tennessee and Lincoln wanted him on the ticket. He was a life-long Democrat and a US Senator when his state seceded,and he alone among Southern Senators remained loyal to the federal union and did not resign his office. That fact impressed Lincoln who put him on the Republican ticket as sort of a compromise. But when he suddenly became President, he had no power base, no group of supporters. In fact, the Republican controlled Congress distrusted him as a Southerner . To make things worse, the Lincoln cabinet , who were almost all had strong backing in the Republican party and particularly the secretary of war , Stanton, were used to running things due to the war, and did not quickly bow to the wishes of the new President. Reconstructing the economy of the South, getting the seceded states back into union , ending the malice and hatred which still existed between North and South and dealing with freed slaves were all very difficult problems, without having to deal with a hostile cabinet and Congress.