FLOTUS: First Ladies of the United States

Eliza McArdle Johnson

Eliza Johnson (née McCardle; October 4, 1810 – January 15, 1876) was the First Lady of the United States from 1865 to 1869 as the wife of President Andrew Johnson. Johnson was relatively inactive as First Lady, and she stayed out of public attention for the duration of her husband's presidency. She was the youngest First Lady to wed, doing so at the age of 16.

Johnson significantly contributed to her husband's early career, providing him with an education and encouraging him to strengthen his oratory skills and seek office. Johnson did not participate in the social aspects of politics, however, remaining at home while her husband took office. During the American Civil War, she was forced from her home for her family's Unionist loyalties. She was affected by tuberculosis throughout much of her life, and what activity she chose to undertake was limited due to her health.

Johnson was briefly the Second Lady of the United States before becoming the First Lady, as her husband was Vice President of the United States until the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. After becoming the First Lady, Johnson delegated the role's social duties to her daughter Martha Johnson Patterson. Though she only made two public appearances during her tenure as First Lady, Johnson was a strong influence on her husband, and he would consult her regularly for advice. Johnson returned to her home of Greeneville, Tennessee with her family after leaving the White House, living a quiet retirement. She died six months after her husband and was buried beside him.

Early life and marriage

Eliza McCardle was born in Greeneville, Tennessee on October 4, 1810.  She was the only child of John McCardle, a shoemaker, and Sarah Phillips. The family moved to Warrensburg, Tennessee while McCardle was young, but they returned to Greeneville following her father's death.  McCardle was raised by her widowed mother, who financially supported her by weaving and taught her to read and write.  McCardle attended school and received a basic education. She is believed to have attended the Rhea Academy in Greenville.

McCardle met Andrew Johnson when his family moved to Greeneville in September 1826. She is said to have first seen him while talking among her friends, who began to tease her when she expressed her interest in the tailor's apprentice.  McCardle and Johnson began courting almost immediately. The Johnsons left the city later that year, and the couple exchanged letters until he returned in 1827. They married on May 17, 1827.  Mordecai Lincoln, the cousin once removed of Abraham Lincoln, presided over the nuptials.  McCardle was 16 years old, making her the youngest to marry of all the First Ladies of the United States.  After marrying, the couple moved into a two-room house, where one of the rooms served as a tailor shop.

Eliza Johnson provided her husband with much of his formal education, though a common myth suggests that she even taught him to read and write.  They had five children together: Martha in 1828, Charles in 1830, Mary in 1832, Robert in 1834, and Frank in 1852. Once they began having children, much of Johnson's time was spent tending to the household while her husband operated his tailor shop.  In 1831, they purchased a larger home as well as a separate facility for the shop. They moved to a larger home again in 1851.

Politician's wife

Antebellum years

With Johnson's encouragement, her husband sought political office. She played a large role in his early political career, assisting him in his education and his oratory skills.  As he attained higher political offices, Johnson avoided the social role associated with a politician's wife, instead tending to their home. By this point, the household included eight or nine slaves.  It is unknown how Johnson felt about owning slaves. As Johnson's children came of age, she enjoyed seeing her daughters seek husbands and start families of their own. At the same time, her two older sons became a cause of stress as they were affected by alcoholism.