We’re continuing our road trip moving from the Birthplace of Country Music in Bristol TN/VA west to the historic town of Greeneville TN. Read about our Bristol adventure here.
While I was in Bristol, I chatted with locals and dug into tourism brochures and online resources to find some fun, scenic, and historic stops on the way to my final destination, Nashville, Tennessee.
As a history buff and national parks enthusiast, I was excited to learn that the town of Greeneville TN, located about an hour from Bristol, is home to the Andrew Johnson National Historic Park. Greeneville is the third oldest town in Tennessee after Jonesborough and Nashville.
While any historic place piques my interest, as a Raleigh native I have a connection to Andrew Johnson. President Johnson was born in Raleigh in a small house that is now located at The Mordecai Historic Park in Raleigh. As a child we’d visit his home and learn about the President’s time in Raleigh. Growing up my mom was a docent at a Colonial museum (Joel Lane House) and I would dress up on the holidays to help volunteer with tours. We’d always tell the story about Andrew Johnson’s house being another good place to visit in Raleigh to learn about early American History.
While it is easy to bypass the historical and scenic detours when you are trying to reach your final destination, I’m so grateful I took time to get off the beaten trail and explore this hidden Tennessee gem, which exudes historic charm.
Journeying through Greeneville’s History:
For thousands of years, this area of Tennessee was home to numerous Native American tribes. You can even visit remnants of an ancient village at the nearby Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park, located near the confluence of the Nolichucky River and Big Limestone Creek. The region was also close to The Great Indian Warpath, which passed just northwest of modern-day Greeneville – a history you can further explore at Warrior Path State Park.
The first permanent colonial settler in Greeneville was North Carolina merchant Jacob Brown, who leased a large stretch of land from the Cherokee, creating what was known as the ‘Nolichucky Settlement.’ At the time, Tennessee was still technically part of North Carolina, a fascinating detail we’ll delve into in a moment.
During the American Revolution, local settlers, famously known as the Overmountain Men, took up arms against the British. Their crucial victory at King’s Mountain, near the South Carolina/North Carolina border, helped set in motion a series of events leading to Cornwallis’s defeat at Yorktown in 1781.
Early settler Robert Kerr donated fifty acres for the establishment of Greeneville, the county seat, in 1783, the same year Greene County was formed. The town was officially recognized and named Greeneville in 1786, honoring General Nathanael Greene, the Revolutionary War hero who commanded the southern Continental Armies.
Seceding from North Carolina…the beginnings of Tennessee as an independent state.
Though initially part of North Carolina, Tennessee’s eventual separation stemmed from the North Carolina government’s unwillingness to fully support its western settlers. This east-west divide, where states like South Carolina and North Carolina often prioritized their wealthy coastal hubs and effectively overlooked those beyond the Appalachian Mountains, was a significant point of contention.
While the North Carolina government usually dismissed claims of neglect from western settlers, this truth became starkly evident in 1784. In an attempt to resolve its Revolutionary War debts, North Carolina ceded its lands west of the Appalachian Mountains, including Greene County, to the fledgling U.S. Congress. This meant that while these settlers were still technically part of North Carolina, any resources or help had to come directly from the federal government.
Crucially, in 1784, the federal government operated under the Articles of Confederation, which famously lacked the power to levy taxes directly. All taxation, which was often poorly enforced, came from the individual states. This created an untenable situation for the western territories.
Understandably, citizens were outraged and felt they had the right to break with North Carolina and form their own state. In response, delegates from Greene and neighboring counties convened at Jonesborough, resolving to declare independence from North Carolina and establish themselves as an independent state. They elected the Revolutionary War hero John Sevier as governor and filled the executive offices. They called their new entity the State of Franklin, in honor of Benjamin Franklin, and held their first state legislature in December 1785 in a crude log courthouse in Greeneville, Tennessee. Today, you can visit a replica of that historic courthouse and ‘capital of Franklin’ in Greeneville!
Unfortunately, their petition for statehood failed in Congress. However, this bold attempt by the Franklanders – as they called themselves – undeniably paved the path for what would officially become the State of Tennessee in 1796. In a nod to this spirited chapter, the town of Franklin near Nashville was named after these pioneering ‘Franklanders.’ And for fellow history enthusiasts, Jonesborough, which we’ll explore more in an upcoming post, also boasts fascinating historical sites related to the State of Franklin.
With Tennessee’s establishment as an independent state in 1796, Greeneville continued to grow and flourish, attracting new settlers. Among them was a young tailor who would one day become president: Andrew Johnson.
Getting to Know President Andrew Johnson at the Andrew Johnson National Historic Park.
Andrew Johnson was born in Raleigh, North Carolina on December 29th 1808. His father died shortly after his birth and his mother struggled to provide for the family. He suffered a life of poverty, but was resilient. His mother, wanting a better life for her son, arranged for him to be apprenticed as a tailor, a trade he would continue to do until he moved to politics.
This is where the story becomes Netflix binge worthy. While apprenticing as a tailor in Raleigh, Andrew fell in love with a local girl and decided to court her by throwing a rock towards her window. The mother of the young lady was furious and threatened to sue Andrew and the tailor he was apprenticing with. Andrew Johnson did not have the money to pay for the window repair and panicked. While most would have figured out a practical solution to this problem (working off the repair, payment plan…) his master apprentice was harsh and Johnson panicked. He fled Raleigh, deserting his apprenticeship, eventually ending up in South Carolina. He worked as a tailor for several years in South Carolina before eventually landing in Greeneville TN.
He could not return to Raleigh for many years because his former boss was hunting him down, determined that he finish his apprenticeship. Selby offered a $10.00 bounty on Johnson.
Making a home in Greeneville:
Johnson moved to Greeneville in 1827, where he met Eliza McCarle, the daughter of a local shoemaker. They married soon after. Eliza was his partner in life and business. Johnson trusted her to help him start and build his own tailoring business. While Johnson had a preliminary education and could read and write, Eliza helped him improve his skills and encouraged him to continue his education. Johnson took classes at the local Greeneville College and Tusculum Academy. Tusculum is still around today as a college.
Johnson was an excellent tailor and built up a strong business in the community. He had a passion for understanding government and discussing politics. His tailor shop became a popular place for political debate and conversation.
Johnson’s keen political savvy and focus on community led to his election as Alderman (city council) in 1829. He then went on to become the town’s mayor before moving into state government and eventually serving as the 17th President of the United States.
Greeneville – Abolition and Union Support, Civil War
Greeneville was founded mostly by yeoman farmers and tradesmen who did not identify with the wealthy plantation owners and slavery of the other regions of the south. Early on, Greeneville and the surrounding areas, including Jonesborough were strong advocates of Abolition and also supporters of the Constitution and the Union when debate of secession emerged.
This culture helped shape and support Andrew Johnson who abhorred secession and believed above all that any issues and conflicts can and should be addressed through the U.S. Constitution. When The Civil War broke out he was firmly against secession and was a Unionist. He continued to remain in Washington serving as a US Senator during the early war years, even after Tennessee succeeded. Tennessee faced much destruction during the Civil War and was greatly divided.
While Andrew Johnson was not a supporter of large plantation slavery, he did own several slaves and eventually freed them during the war. This was a contraction that is hard to ignore, but the fact he was willing to separate himself from an accepted practice realizing it was wrong shows a lot of strength and courage for his time.
When the Union Army took control of Nashville in 1862, Lincoln appointed Johnson as Military Governor of Tennessee. Johnson’s actions as military governor included arresting critics of the federal government, dismissing state officials, and closing anti-Union newspapers. He also played a role in the emancipation of enslaved people in Tennessee, first freeing his own slaves in 1863 and later ordering the state’s full emancipation. We’ll learn more about Nashville’s role in The Civil War in our upcoming posts as we begin our tour of Nashville.
In 1864, Lincoln selected Andrew Johnson as his running mate for reelection. Lincoln said “Andy Johnson, I think is a good man.” Serving as Vice President, Johnson worked with Lincoln on a Reconstruction Plan for readmitting southern states and their rights once the war was over. Lincoln and also Johnson, unlike more radical Republicans like Thaddeus Stevens, believed the key was to have a balance of justice and leniency. Lincoln knew that the war and the tattered bonds would never heal if there wasn’t a certain leniency and return to normalcy in the south. This seems like a radical ideal, but it in a way mirrors the contrasts between the end of World War I and Treaty of Versailles versus the US Marshall Plan after World War II, which helped rebuild Europe.
Truthfully had Lincoln not been assassinated in April 1865, the southern reconstruction would have been a lot better than it turned out to be. Lincoln was resolute in his plan for leniency and reentry without being a pushover. He had a depth of understanding that unfortunately could not play out after his passing.
Andrew Johnson became President after Lincoln’s death, and his presidency was fraught with conflict and difficulty. Johnson as a southerner and former slave owner felt that Thaddeus Stevens, who was considered a radical abolitionist at the time (something we would call normal thought today like voting rights for all races and men and women). Stevens was already an antagonist of Lincoln’s plan, but with his assassination felt even more impassioned to ensure the south was punished and re-entry to full citizenship rights of southerners was difficult.
In truth it’s hard in the modern lens of understanding to understand some of the controversy of these issues, like voting rights for African Americans, but part of history is putting yourselves in the time and examining each side and their story then cross examining with your own modern perspective.
Johnson, as a southerner, recognized the varying issues and wanted to have a leniency and bring the south into this post war future without causing another deep wound that would only make the contention and hate continue longer. Stevens to his defense recognized the problems of being too lenient.
If you study this period of Reconstruction it didn’t work well for either side and it is a shame, and while some blame Johnson for this, I think he tried to do his best during arguably the most difficult presidency periods in history – not just fighting the war, but reconciling with a Confederacy that had broken the vows to the United States Constitution.
One thing I greatly admire about Johnson is that he stood up for The Constitution even when the people around him decided to secede. Johnson understood the United States government wasn’t perfect, but the only way to perfect it was by law and following the Constitution. Many of his disagreements with opponents during his presidency had to do with his contention that something might be sound, but if it is not constitutional it should not be done. This of course leads to debate and we still are struggling with Constitutionality of policy in government today.
Andrew Johnson was the first President to be impeached by the House of Representatives, but was acquitted by The Senate in a narrow vote.
After leaving the presidency he continued to work to fight to regain his reputation and serve the people. He eventually was re-elected as a US senator in 1875 , the only US President to return to office as a congressman. Sadly he passed away later that year.
Visiting the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site:
Let me tell you, this national historic site absolutely blew me away. While I knew it would be interesting, I initially thought I’d spend about an hour at the site. Instead, I ended up dedicating three and a half immersive hours exploring the various buildings and exhibits across the park.
The park seeks to retell the life of Andrew Johnson from birth to death through multiple sites across several miles in Greeneville.
I recommend starting your tour at the main Visitor’s Center. The Park Ranger was awesome – he knew everything about Andrew Johnson and could speak to the different aspects of his legacy and presidency. He took ten minutes to give me an overview of what to see and how to plan my day.
He recommended I start my tour with the introductory video (About fifteen minutes), which gives an overview of Johnson and his life and presidency.
The visitor’s center museum is divided into two parts:
You can see Andrew Johnson’s original tailor shop, where he built his business and enjoyed debates on political topics with locals. Interestingly enough the visitor center was built around the tailor’s shop, enclosing the shop to protect it in situ (in its original place). The museum also has extensive exhibits specifically on Johnson’s presidency and his impeachment. You have the opportunity to study the case for impeachment and visually cast your own ballot.
Directly across the street from the main visitor’s center, you can visit a reconstruction of Andrew Johnson’s birthplace (the original can be visited in Raleigh NC) and then walk through Andrew Johnson’s original brick home in Greeneville, where he lived with his wife before moving to their larger home down the street. This was one of my favorite parts of the tour as the exhibits have an interactive timeline of Andrew Johnson’s life and also a timeline of key events in American and World History from the era that would have impacted Andrew Johnson and those around him.
Eventually with a growing family and his successful business, Johnson was able to move to a larger home about two blocks away known as The Andrew Johnson Homestead. While I was able to see the outside of the home, I unfortunately was unable to get a reservation in time to tour home (due to arriving later in the day). I will just have to plan a return trip to visit the interior of the home in a future American Nomad post.
I definitely recommend capping off your visit to The Andrew Johnson National Historic Site with a visit to his final resting place. This family burial plot is located on a high hill with views of the Appalachian foothills. Johnson, ever a firm believer in the Constitution, requested that it be incorporated into his tombstone. The surrounding cemetery includes a Veterans Memorial, which is moving as well.
Downtown Greenville is charming with lots of local shops and restaurants. You’ll discover beautiful Federal to antebellum architecture echoing back to the earlier years of Greeneville prior to The Civil War.
Downtown Greeneville has tons of great restaurants like the over 70 year old fan favorite Little Top Drive Through or the Butcher’s Block (great steakhouse) – click here for the area guide.
Other things to do in the area:
Natural Beauty: Greenville has ready access to tons of beautiful nature including the beautiful Margarette Falls in the natural wonderland of The Cherokee National Forest
Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park: Did you know that famed frontiersman, politician, who sadly died at The Alamo was born only thirty minutes east of Greeneville…you can explore his birthplace and delve into early Native American History at this historic State Park. Official Website
Speaking of Davy Crockett, about thirty minutes west of Greeneville, you can visit the historic Davy Crockett Tavern in Morristown TN – definitely worth an extra detour Official Website
Next up we’ll explore Tennessee’s first town – Jonesborough before a long visit to Nashville TN, where I spend a few days recording new songs including ‘Good Man,’ ‘Heartbreak City’ and ‘How Do You Feel.’
I lived in Nashville for many years and can’t wait to share my favorite Nashville haunts with you in our upcoming posts.
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