James K. Polk was one of the strongest and most active presidents ever to occupy the office. In the nineteenth century only Jefferson, Jackson, and Lincoln matched his overall leadership and domination of national government. Bergeron's crisp, insightful narrative shows how and why Polk achieved such stature and yet failed to attract the kind of popular support or retrospective recognition granted other presidential luminaries.

A native of North Carolina, Polk prepared for the presidency by honing his leadership skills as a seven-term congressman, speaker of the house, and governor of...

From February to August 1867 there was a great deal of bad news for Andrew Johnson and very little good news. The earlier struggles between Congress and the president intensified, and threats of impeachment continued unabated, fed by the activity of the House Judiciary Committee. The Papers of Andrew Johnson will number some sixteen volumes. Devoted principally to correspondence, speeches, and official documents, they will also be significant for their insights into the mind of mid-nineteenth century America.

This volume encompasses the last six months of Andrew Johnson's presidency (September 1868 February 1869) and March and April of 1869. During this time Johnson moved from being a considerably diminished president to becoming an ex-president. But by April he sought to rejuvenate his political career by undertaking a speaking tour across Tennessee.
Despite being a "president in limbo" in the last months of his term, Johnson remained surprisingly active. Requests and nominations for presidential patronage did not slow down, but Johnson enjoyed only limited success in securing Senate...

The history of Tennessee is full of dramatic episodes and colorful characters that give the Volunteer State its unique place in the American saga. 62 illustrations.

Is there life after the presidency? That is the question with which Andrew Johnson wrestled after his return to Tennessee in March 1869 until his death in the summer of 1875. He answered that question with a resounding yes and revitalized his political ambitions.
For his six post-presidential years, Johnson relentlessly pursued a vindication of earlier setbacks and embarrassments. He had hardly arrived back in Greenville before he began mapping his strategy to recapture public acclaim. Johnson eschewed the opportunity to compete for the governor s chair and opted instead to set his sights...

Paul H. Bergeron joined the University of Tennessee History Department in 1972 and retired three decades later, widely recognized as one of our country s premier scholars of nineteenth-century political history. In addition to his meticulous scholarship his career included editorship of both the Correspondence of James K. Polk and the Papers of Andrew Johnson Bergeron was an esteemed teacher and mentor, celebrated by students and colleagues alike for his wisdom, graciousness, and humor. While at UT, Bergeron directed eleven master s theses and twelve PhD dissertations, not to mention advising...