The Pasttimes of Presidents

9. Andrew Johnson relaxed by making his own suits

Andrew Johnson was the first president to endure lengthy impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives and a subsequent trial in the Senate, where he was acquitted by a narrow margin. At his inauguration as vice president, he delivered a long-winded oration which led many of his listeners to conclude that he was drunk. Johnson secluded himself in his residence at a Washington hotel for the next several weeks and was there when he learned that Abraham Lincoln had been assassinated. He had met with Lincoln in the White House earlier that same day.

Johnson had been a tailor before he entered politics, and he maintained his skills in that trade, making, altering, and repairing his own clothes as a means of escaping his woes. It may have helped him to relax but it did little to enhance his reputation in office. Johnson found it necessary to defend himself and his policies at every opportunity; during one speech on Washington’s Birthday meant to honor the first president Johnson referred to himself over 200 times. Johnson also believed that some in congress were out to get him, including suggesting that some were plotting his assassination.