Andrew Johnson Never Went To School

Johnson, a working-class child who was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, in December 1808, had little privileges growing up. His childhood home was a log cabin, and after his father passed away in 1812, he chose to work rather than go to school and become an apprentice tailor.

One of the interesting facts about Andrew Johnson is he learned the basics of reading on his own, but he didn't start formal education until he wed Eliza McCardle in Tennessee in 1827. Despite having lost her father as a young girl, Eliza was quite well-educated. He learned the fundamentals of math and writing from McCardle, developing abilities that later helped him buy real estate and achieve affluence he had previously thought unattainable. He advanced in Tennessee politics as a result of his achievement, eventually taking the position of mayor of Greeneville before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1843. In 1853, he was elected governor of Tennessee, and in 1857, he was elected senator. Johnson's wife was an invalid, confined to her room all the time, by the time he was elected president. During formal events, their daughter Martha served as hostess.