1808-1875. The 17th president of the USA
1865-69, a Democrat. He was born in Raleigh,
North Carolina, and was a congressman from
Tennessee 1843-53, governor of Tennessee
1853-57, senator 1857-62, and vice president
1865. He succeeded to the presidency on
Lincoln's assassination (15 Apr 1865). His
conciliatory policy to the defeated South
after the Civil War involved him in a feud
with the Radical Republicans. When he tried
to dismiss Edwin Stanton, a cabinet
secretary, his political opponents seized on
the opportunity to charge him with `high
crimes and misdemeanours' and attempted to
remove him from office. This battle
culminated with his impeachment before the
Senate 1868, which failed to convict him by
one vote. Among his achievements was the
purchase of Alaska from Russia 1867. He was
returned to the Senate from Tennessee 1875,
but died shortly afterwards. His tenure as
president was characterized by his
frustration and political stalemate. He
presided over the reentry of the Southern
states into the Union.