Vice President Andrew Johnson became President after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. What fact about Johnson made some think he would be "soft" on the Southern states?
The fact that Andrew Johnson was born and raised in the Southern state of Tennessee made some people believe he would be "soft" on the Southern states. Being a Southerner himself, it was assumed that Johnson would be sympathetic towards the Confederate states, which were facing significant challenges and required reconstruction efforts following the American Civil War. Johnson's lenient policies towards the South, including his quick pardons of former Confederates and opposition to strong Reconstruction measures, led many to believe he was indulgent and forgiving towards the Southern states.
