First Ladies of the United States: Eliza Johnson

Elizabeth McCardle was born on October 4, 1810, in Greeneville, Tennessee, the only child of John and Sara Phillips McCardle. Her father, a shoemaker by trade, died in 1826, leaving Eliza and her mother to support themselves by sewing quilts. Home-schooled by her mother, she was a voracious reader and may have received some formal education at Rhea Academy.

Eliza Johnson, née Eliza McCardle, (born October 4, 1810, Greeneville, Tennessee, U.S.—died January 15, 1876, Greeneville), American first lady (1865–69), the wife of Andrew Johnson, 17th president of the United States...

On the morning of April 15, 1865, Andrew Johnson was quickly sworn in at the Kirkwood House in Washington D.C. as the 17th President of the United States. The ceremony had none of the pomp and circumstance of the previous presidential inauguration, as the country was reeling from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln the night before. Consequently, few were in attendance to witness this solemn tradition, including the new President’s spouse Eliza McCardle Johnson.

Eliza McCardle Johnson was the wife of the 17th President, Andrew Johnson. She served as First Lady of the United States from 1865 to 1869...