Andrew Johnson never expected to be president, but just six weeks after becoming Abraham Lincoln's vice president, the events at Ford's Theatre thrust him into the office. Johnson faced a nearly impossible task--to succeed America's greatest chief executive, to bind the nation's wounds after the Civil War, and to work with a Congress controlled by the so-called Radical Republicans. Annette Gordon-Reed, a leading historian of slavery, shows how ill-suited Johnson was. His vision of reconciliation abandoned the former slaves (for whom he felt undisguised contempt) and antagonized congressional leaders, who tried to limit his powers and eventually impeached him. The climax of Johnson's presidency was his trial and his acquittal by a single vote, which Gordon-Reed recounts with drama. Despite his victory, Johnson's term in office was a missed opportunity; he failed the country at a pivotal moment, leaving America with problems that we are still trying to solve.--From publisher description.

Introduction: "The true index of his heart" -- The tailor's apprentice -- Ascent -- Governor and Senator Johnson -- Disunion -- From military governor to vice president -- Mr. President -- The president obstructs -- Impeachment -- Epilogue: The aftermath.