Sunday, September 14, 2008

First History test

Friday marked the day of our first history test. It covered the first three chapters of our main text book, and also a selection from the "Angels in the Machinery" book. I think the advantage of taking a history class that covers half of America's history is the fact that you get to have a more detailed look into various times of the United States. I learned a lot about the period of reconstruction, and the kind of administration President Johnson had. President Johnson, a southern democrat, became president after Lincoln's assasination. He was originally chosen to be Lincoln's running mate because he would help Lincoln in his re-election by reaching across party lines. However, to the dismay of the Republicans, Johnsons presidency was very much against Republican views. Johnson, who only held a grudge against the Southern "aristocratic" plantation owners, had no support for incorporating African Americans into the reconstruction process of the south. The Republicans, who had a majority in Congress, warned Johnson of impeachment several times due to his blocking of a successful reconstruction. Finally, after Johnson fired the Secretary of War, he was impeached by Congress under the "Tenure of Office Act," but the real reason being his blocking of southern reconstruction. He was eventually acquitted of impeachment, but I find this story interesting because I really did not know a whole lot about that time period or the kind of Presidency Andrew Johnson had.

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