Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
History
Date of Award
8-2022
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Steven E. Nash
Committee Members
Tom Lee, Stephen Fritz
Abstract
The memory of Andrew Johnson in Greeneville has progressed through three phases. The first phase began during Johnson’s post-presidential career when he sought national office to demonstrate his vindication. After Johnson died the first phase continued through the efforts of his daughters and local Unionists who sought to strengthen the myth of monolithic Unionism and use Johnson to promote reconciliation and to shield the region from federal intervention in the racial hierarchy. The second phase in the construction of Johnson’s memory began in 1908 when Northerners began to unite with white Southerners in white supremacy. East Tennesseans then celebrated the aspects of Johnson’s memory that they cherished, his attempts to undermine Reconstruction. The Civil Rights Movement ushered the final phase, prompting historians to reexamine Johnson’s racism and presidency. With the image of a white supremacist no longer viable, Greenevillians depict Johnson as a progressive president unfairly impeached by Radical Republicans.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Miller, Zachary A., "False Idol: The Memory of Andrew Johnson and Reconstruction in Greeneville, Tennessee 1869-2022" (2022). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4096. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/4096
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
Included in
Political History Commons, Public History Commons, Social History Commons, United States History Commons