© The University of Tennessee Special Collections Library

Linear Feet: The collection occupies 229.5 linear feet of shelf space.

Abstract: The Andrew Johnson Papers are a collection of research material gathered by the Andrew Johnson Project, a Tennessee-based project to collect and publish the correspondence and papers of Andrew Johnson, who served as a pre-Civil War Tennessee State Representative, US Representative, Governor of Tennessee, Vice President of the United States, President of the United States, and US Senator until his death in 1875. The Project began collecting material in the mid-1950s and concluded in the year 2000, and consists of photocopied handwritten documents, microfilm, handwritten and typed notes, and transcripts that were collected for use in the writing of The Papers of Andrew Johnson, a sixteen volume set covering the years of 1858 to 1875. The Andrew Johnson Papers includes correspondence, congressional records, bills, pension records, military service records, diaries, journal articles, and newspapers. The collection also includes material omitted from the published volumes of the Papers of Andrew Johnson. In addition, it contains internal information from the project, including budgets, grant proposals, permission to publish statements, National Archives and Records Administration record guides, and correspondence with repositories and collectors.

Administrative Information

Statement of Provenance: The Andrew Johnson Papers were given to the University Archives upon the project's completion in 2000.

Copyright statement: Copyright © 2001. The University of Tennessee Libraries. All Rights Reserved. Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute these materials for educational, research, and not-for-profit purposes, without fee and without a signed licensing agreement, is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice and this paragraph appear in all copies, modifications, and distributions. For commercial license to use contact, University of Tennessee Libraries, Office of the Dean, Permissions, 1015 Volunteer Boulevard, Knoxville, TN 37996-1000.

Biographical Note: Andrew Johnson served as Representative and later a Senator from Tennessee. He also served as the Vice President under Abraham Lincoln and became 17th President of the United States upon Lincoln's death. Johnson was born in Raleigh, N.C., on December 29, 1808, was self-educated and at the age of 13 became a tailor's apprentice. In 1826 he moved to Tennessee where he worked as a tailor. He worked as an alderman of Greeneville, Tenn. from 1828-1830, mayor of Greeneville from 1834-1838, before serving as a member of the State house of representatives for the years 1835-1837 and 1839-1841. He was elected to the State senate in 1841, and was later elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-eighth and to the four succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1843-March 3, 1853). There he served as chairman for the Committee on Public Expenditures during the Thirty-first and Thirty-second Congresses, after which becoming a gubernatorial candidate. He served as Governor of Tennessee from 1853-1857, before being elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate and served from October 8, 1857, to March 4, 1862, when he resigned. While there, he served as chairman, Committee to Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses (Thirty-sixth Congress), Committee on the District of Columbia (Thirty-sixth Congress), and was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln Military Governor of Tennessee in 1862. In 1864 he was elected Vice President of the United States on the Republican ticket with Abraham Lincoln and was inaugurated on March 4, 1865. He became President of the United States on April 15, 1865. Johnson's presidency was marked by the wide differences arising between the President and the Congress, and a resolution for his impeachment passed the House of Representatives on February 24, 1868. Eleven articles were set out in the resolution, most concerning Johnson's perceived violation of the Tenure of Office Act, where Johnson removed Secretary of War Edwin Stanton from his post without Senate approval, which succeeded in uniting the Republican Party against the president. The trial before the Senate lasted three months, at the conclusion of which he was acquitted (May 26, 1868) by a vote of thirty-five for conviction to nineteen for acquittal, being shy of the necessary two-thirds vote. After failing to win the presidential nomination, he retired to his home in Tennessee upon the expiration of the presidential term, March 3, 1869. He lost election campaigns for the United States Senate in 1869 and for the House of Representatives in 1872. He was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate and served from March 4, 1875, until his death near Elizabethton, Carter County, Tenn., July 31, 1875. He was interred in the Andrew Johnson National Cemetery, Greeneville, in Greene County, Tenn.

Scope and Content Note: The Andrew Johnson Papers contains the material collected and used for the creation of The Papers of Andrew Johnson, a sixteen volume annotated, abridged set of Andrew Johnson's official papers and correspondence. The project began in the mid-1950s as part of a larger trend of projects for the collection and publication of presidential papers. It was funded by the National Historical Publications Commission, now the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), a statutory body affiliated with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The project was headed by University of Tennessee historians LeRoy Graf and Ralph Haskins, and later by Paul Bergeron, and funded through grants from the NHPRC and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The project became part of the Tennessee Presidents Center in 1987, a joining of the three Tennessee presidential papers projects of Andrew Johnson, Andrew Jackson, and James Polk. The first volume of The Papers of Andrew Johnson was published in 1967 and the project was completed July 31, 2000. The volumes cover the years from 1858 to 1875.

The collection includes documents and materials collected and created during the project's duration. It consists material copied from individual collections in libraries and archives across the country, including the Tennessee State Library and Archives, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Huntington Library, New York Public Library, Massachusetts Historical Society, Duke University Library, the Library of Congress, and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The collection contains material pertaining to Andrew Johnson, including material omitted from the final publication, including photocopies of personal or official letters, official documents such as pension and military service records, bills, memoranda, journal articles, petitions, diaries, and newspapers. The collection also contains information used in the introductions and notes, rough drafts, biographical histories of Johnson and other key figures, correspondence with collectors and repositories, grant proposals, budget materials, NARA microfilm reels, and NARA record guides.

The collection is separated into three series. Series I contains copies of letters and documents published in The Papers of Andrew Johnson. The copies of the handwritten originals occasionally are accompanied with typed, proofed transcriptions. The series also includes drafts and additional material used for introductions, background, and explanatory notes. There are two boxes containing 122 NARA microfilm reels, containing primarily documents from the Office of the Treasury, Department of State, United States Army, and other governmental records, dated between 1837-1878. Series II contains additional research material omitted from publication, primarily from the National Archives and the Library of Congress, including correspondence, Supreme Court and Congressional records, military service records, and pension records, as well as some handwritten notes. Series III contains internal paperwork from the Andrew Johnson Project, including payroll and personnel files, background biographical information on Johnson and other figures, newspapers and journal articles, book reviews, excerpts from books on the period, budgets, grant proposals, press and public relations documents and photographs, including photographs of President Lyndon Johnson accepting the first published volume of the set.

LCSH:
Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875.
Presidents -- United States -- Biography.
United States -- Politics and government -- 1849-1875.
Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875 Archives.
Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875 Bibliography.
Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875 Correspondence.
Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875 Impeachment.
Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875 Relations with Afro-Americans.
Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875 Relations with journalists.
Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877)
United States History Civil War, 1861-1865
Tennessee History 19th Century
United States History Congresses
United States. Congress History 19th century
United States. Congress. House 1840-1850.
United States. Congress. House 1850-1860.
United States. Congress. Senate 1850-1860.
United States. Congress. Senate 1860-1870.
United States. Congress. Senate 1870-1880.
United States. Office of the Vice President
Presidents--Assassination

Series/Container List:

Series I: Volumes/papers

Box 1:Volume 1,1845-1851; 203 Folders
Box 2: Volume 2, 1852-53; 70 folders
Box 3: Volume 2, 1853-57; 180 folders
Box 4: Volume 3, 1858-59; 72 folders
Box 5: Volume 3, 1859-60; 249 folders
Box 6: Volume 4, 12/1860 – 1/1861; 105 folders
Box 7: Volume 4, 2/1861 – 3/1861; 80 folders
Box 8: Volume 4-5, 3/1861 – 7/1861; 177 folders
Box 9: Volume 5, 8/1861 – 12/1861; 116 folders
Box 10: Volume 5, 1/1862 – 4/1862; 131 folders
Box 11: Volume 5, 4/1862 – 6/1862; 260 folders
Box 12: Volume 6, 7/1862 – 8/1862; 147 folders
Box 13: Volume 6, 9/1862 - 11/1862; 101 folders
Box 14: Volume 6, 12/1862 - 5/1863; 139 folders
Box 15: Volume 6, 6/1863 - 9/1863; 160 folders
Box 16: 10/1863 - 12/1863; 149 folders
Box 17: 12/1863 - 1/1864; 13 folders
Box 18: 1/1864 - 3/1864; 85 folders
Box 19: 3/1864 - 5/1864; 85 folders
Box 20: 6/1864 - 7/1864; 63 folders
Box 21: 7/1864 - 8/1864; 57 folders
Box 22: 8/1864 - 9/1864; 94 folders
Box 23: 9/1864 - 10/1864; 88 folders
Box 24: 11/1864 - 12/1864; 114 folders
Box 25: 12/1864 - 1/1865; 31 folders
Box 26: 1/1865 - 3/1865; 82 folders
Box 27: 3/1865 - 4/1865; 57 folders
Box 28: 4/1865 - 5/1865; 121 folders
Box 29: 5/1865 - 9/1865; 17 folders
Box 30: 5/1865; 19 folders
Box 31: 5/1865; 72 folders
Box 32: 5/1865; 106 folders
Box 33: 5/1865 - 6/1865; 30 folders
Box 34: 6/1865; 31 folders
Box 35: 6/1865; 73 folders
Box 36: 6/1865; 108 folders
Box 37: 6/1865 - 7/1865; 60 folders
Box 38: 7/1865; 77 folders
Box 39: 7/1865; 38 folders
Box 40: 7/1865; 86 folders
Box 41: 7/1865 - 8/1865; 148 folders
Box 42: 9/1865; 74 folders
Box 43: 9/1865; 115 folders
Box 44: 10/1865; 96 folders
Box 45: 10/1865 - 11/1865; 85 folders
Box 46: 11/1865; 114 folders
Box 47: 11/1865 - 12/1865; 82 folders
Box 48: 12/1865 - 1/1866; 97 folders
Box 49: 1/1866 - 2/1866; 101 folders
Box 50: 2/1866; 79 folders
Box 51: 2/1866 – 3/1866; 80 folders
Box 52: 3/1866; 103 folders
Box 53: 3/1866 - 4/1866; 71 folders
Box 54: 4/1866 – 5/1866; 83 folders
Box 55: 5/1866 - 6/1866; 95 folders
Box 56: 6/1866; 94 folders
Box 57: 6/1866 - 7/1866; 108 folders
Box 58: 7/1866 - 8/1866; 78 folders
Box 59: 8/1866; 80 folders
Box 60: 8/1866; 79 folders
Box 61: 9/1866; 78 folders
Box 62: 9/1866 - 10/1866; 79 folders
Box 63: 10/1866; 87 folders
Box 64: 11/1866; 99 folders
Box 65: 11/1866 – 1/1867; 81 folders
Box 66: 1/1867 - 2/1867; 117 folders
Box 67: 2/1867 - 3/1867; 53 folders
Box 68: 4/1867 - 5/1867; 61 folders
Box 69: 3/1867 - 4/1867; 110 folders
Box 70: 5/1867 - 6/1867; 100 folders
Box 71: 6/1867 - 8/1867; 69 folders
Box 72: 8/1867 - 9/1867; 124 folders
Box 73: 9/1867 - 10/1867; 82 folders
Box 74: 10/1867 - 11/1867; 120 folders
Box 75: 11/1867 - 12/1867; 75 folders
Box 76: 12/1867 -1/1868; 85 folders
Box 77: 1/1868 - 3/1868; 97 folders
Box 78: 3/1868 - 5/1868; 114 folders
Box 79: 5/1868 - 6/1868; 180 folders
Box 80: 6/1868 - 7/1868; 128 folders
Box 81: 7/1868 - 8/1868; 139 folders
Box 82: 8/1868 - 9/1868; 142 folders
Box 83: 9/1868 - 10/1868; 136 folders
Box 84: 11/1868 – 12/1868; 101 folders
Box 85: 12/1868 - 1/1869; 121 folders
Box 86: 1/1869 - 2/1869; 99 folders
Box 87: 3/1869 - 4/1869; 78 folders
Box 88: 5/1869 - 12/1870; 132 folders
Box 89: 12/1870 - 12/1871; 85 folders
Box 90: 1872 – 10/1873; 124 folders
Box 91: 10/1873 - 12/1874; 104 folders
Box 92: 1/1874 - 7/1875; 140 folders
Box 93: 8/1875 – 1876, 1829-1869; Holdover files; 63 folders

Box 94: JP-LC Series 5A-- 5E, 1865-- 1869; 23 folders
Box 95: JP-LC Series 6A-- 7A, 1865-- 1869; 24 folders
Box 96: Record Group 167-418, JP-LC Series 3A, 1864- 1959; 46 folders
Box 97: JP-LC Series 3B-- 4A, 1864-- 1869; 24 folders
Box 98: Record Group 84-94, 1949-- 1972; 27 folders
Box 99: Record Group 94-156, 1865-- 1974; 41 folders
Box 100: Record Group 11-59, 1865-- 1973; 47 folders
Box 101: Record Group 59-- 77, 1865-- 1873; 33 folders
Box 102: Record Group 59, Collectors and Accessors, IRS; correspondence A - BL 1866-- 1984, 160 folders
Box 103: Record Group 59-- 60, correspondence BL-CH, 1866-- 1869, 182 folders
Box 104: Record Group 59-- 60, correspondence CI-- E, 1866-- 1869, 237 folders
Box 105: Record Group 59-- 60, correspondence F-- H, 1866-- 1869, 227 folders
Box 106: Record Group 59-- 60, correspondence HAS-- KI, 1866-- 1869, 248 folders
Box 107: Record Group 59-- 60, correspondence L-- MAR, 1866-- 1869, 220 folders
Box 108: Record Group 59-- 60, correspondence ME-- O, 1866-- 1869, 160 folders
Box 109: Record Group 59-- 60, correspondence P-- RI, 1866-- 1869, 213 folders
Box 110: Record Group 59-- 60, correspondence SA-- SM, 1866-- 1869, 139 folders
Box 111: Record Group 59-- 60, correspondence ST-- TO, 1866-- 1869, 136 folders
Box 112: Record Group 59-- 60, correspondence U-- Z, 1866-- 1869, 207 folders
Unboxed materials: 120 books and binders, 1 pile of papers
Box 113: Misc. Service Records and Pension Records A-B, 48 folders
Box 114: Misc. Service Records and Pension Records B, 25 folders
Box 115: Misc. Service Records and Pension Records C, 50 folders
Box 116: Misc. Service Records and Pension Records D, 31 folders
Box 117: Misc. Service Records and Pension Records E, 14 folders
Box 118: Misc. Service Records and Pension Records F, 22 folders
Box 119: Misc. Service Records and Pension Records F-G, 23 folders
Box 120: Misc. Service Records and Pension Records H, 39 folders
Box 121: Misc. Service Records and Pension Records I-K, 25 folders
Box 122: Misc. Service Records and Pension Records K-L, 27 folders
Box 123: Misc. Service Records and Pension Records Mc-MI, 35 folders
Box 124: Misc. Service Records and Pension Records MI-MY, 19 folders
Box 125: Misc. Service Records and Pension Records N-PO, 43 folders
Box 126: Misc. Service Records and Pension Records PR-SL, 40 folders
Box 127: Misc. Service Records and Pension Records SL-SU, 32 folders
Box 128: Misc. Service Records and Pension Records T-W, 38 folders
Box 129: Misc. Service Records and Pension Records W-Z, 33 folders
Box 130: Misc. Pension Cases RG-15, 20 folders
Box 131: Microfilm, NARA, RG-15-- RG-153, 1837-1878, 63 reels
Box 132: Microfilm, NARA, RG-15-- RG-153, 1837-1878, 59 reels

Box 133: Personnel and Payroll: leave time reports, time sheets, 52 folders
Box 134: Personnel and Payroll: Payroll registers, 19 folders
Box 135: Misc. material, book covers, 6 1/2 inch floppy disks, angular guides, 9 folders, 3 boxes, 7 disk containers
Box 136: Andrew Johnson Biographical materials, genealogy and book illustrations, 28 folders
Box 137: Andrew Johnson Biographical materials, book illustrations and journal articles, diaries, 25 folders
Box 138: Other Biographical materials and newspapers 1863-1984, 46 folders
Box 139: Other Biographical materials and newspapers 1854-1958, 81 folders
Box 140: Permission to publish statements, Correspondence 1957-- 2000, 58 folders
Box 141: Correspondence Pre-1957-1982, 39 folders
Box 142: Agency Correspondence NARA and NEH 1978-1997, 31 folders
Box 143: Agency Correspondence NARA and NEH 1960-2000, 46 folders
Box 144: Budget Reports, 1990-2000, 36 folders
Box 145: Budget Reports, 1987-1996, 30 folders
Box 146: Budget Materials 1994-1997, Rolled Newspaper 1864, on VP nomination, 6 folders, 1 oversize (unboxed materials)
Box 147: Grant and Budget materials 1978-1998, 20 folders
Box 148: Repository Files, ILS orders, Reviews, State bibliographies Alabama-New Hampshire, 61 folders
Box 149: Repository Files, ILS orders, Reviews, State bibliographies New Jersey-- Wyoming, 27 folders
Box 150: NARA Repository files A-L, Library of Congress Series 7B-- 20, Misc. collections, 36 folders
Box 151: Correspondence 1974-1982, NARA Repository files N-T, 21 folders
Box 152: Press and Publicity, News Releases, photographs, 1971-1992, 8 folders
Box 153: Correspondence State Libraries and Private Collectors, NARA Repository files U-XYZ, 16 folders