Andrew Johnson was not a Republican but a Tennessee Democrat. Soon Johnson came into conflict with the radical Republicans (the majority sector of the Republican Party) who wanted to punish the Southern States for their past rebellion, and also wanted to impose their radical reforms in relation to former slaves.
The southern states did not want to grant full citizenship to the blacks who had been slaves and Johnson did not want to force them; the US Congress, dominated by the radical republicans, passed over the authority of the President and used the Army to impose provisional governments in the ex rebel states. It also aprooved the Thirteenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the US Constitution to guarantee equality between whites and blacks (including the right to vote for blacks); and forced the southern states to ratify them. Johnson vetoed the measures, but Congress rejected his vetoes and even tried to dismiss him.
Johnson undertook the speaking tour in the face of increasing opposition in the northern states and in Washington to his lenient form of reconstruction in the South, which had led the southern states largely to revert the social system that had predominated before the Civil War. Although he believed he could regain the trust of moderate northern Republicans by exploiting tensions between them and their Radical counterparts on the tour, Johnson only alienated them more.
The disastrous speaking campaign carried out by Johnson increased the opposition against him, who left the White House in 1868 to a Republican candidate.
The swing around the circle affected radical Republicans' attitudes toward Johnson’s campaign that took place between August and September of 1866.
Further Explanations:
Swing around the circle is referred to as the Johnson’s bad campaign policies that the campaigned during August and September of 1860. He tried to please radical republicans with a notorious strategy of creating a difference the northern Republicans and radical counterparts. Though Johnson was not a Republicans he came into an argument with radical republicans who wanted to penalize the southern states for their rebel.
The southern were against granting full citizenship to the black slaves. Johnson favored them and as a result of which radical republicans used the army to impose provisional administration in the ex-rebel state. The new government guaranteed the equality between the Whites and Blacks through the ratification of Thirteen, Fourteen and Fifteenth amendments. Johnson’s veto was rejected by the constitution in these amendments.
Though Johnson tried to administer through divide and rule policies, but his campaign increased opposition against him and White House went into the hands of Republicans in 1868.
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Answer Details
Grade: High School
Subject: History
Chapter: Republicans
Keywords: Johnson’s, Augusta, September, radical, republicans, Republicans, radical counterparts, black slaves, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteenth amendments, White House, White House
