Rate the Presidents, Installment #17: Andrew Johnson

[Antonio the Sixth]

3 stars. Honestly, I never got the hatred for him. His handling of Reconstruction was certainly far closer to what Lincoln envisioned than that of Radical Republicans.

He probably wasn't a good person and his Presidency was far from a success, but I don't think it's fair to blame him entirely.

[Antonio the Sixth]

3 stars. Honestly, I never got the hatred for him. His handling of Reconstruction was certainly far closer to what Lincoln envisioned than that of Radical Republicans.

Given how abhorrent Johnson's handling of reconstruction was, that sounds more like a criticism of Lincoln than it does a praise for Johnson

That's certainly a debate worth having (I personally am not sure what the best course of action would have been), but regardless, it takes away the ludicrous argument that Johnson "betrayed" Lincoln's legacy.