I need help. Can you answer this question?
Why did President Lincoln,a Republican, choose Andrew Johnson,a Democrat,as his vice president in 1846?
Although he was a Southerner, Johnson had opposed secession of the Confederate States. Lincoln chose Johnson as his vice president in 1864 (note date) because he knew the Civil War was almost over and he believed that Johnson could help heal the wounds and bring the Confederates back into the Union.
http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/nc/bio/public/johnson.htm
Certainly! To understand why President Lincoln, a Republican, chose Andrew Johnson, a Democrat, as his vice president in 1864 (not 1846 as you mentioned), we need to consider the historical context and the political dynamics at the time.
During the 1864 presidential election, President Lincoln was seeking re-election during the American Civil War. In order to strengthen his chances of victory, he aimed to create a unity ticket that would appeal to a broader spectrum of voters, including Democrats. The Civil War was an incredibly divisive time, and Lincoln sought to promote a sense of reconciliation and national unity.
Andrew Johnson, a Democrat from Tennessee, was chosen as Lincoln's running mate primarily because he was a Southern Democrat who remained loyal to the Union during the secession crisis. This made Johnson appealing to Republicans and Unionists who believed in preserving the Union. Additionally, Johnson had a reputation for being a strong advocate for states' rights, which appealed to Democratic voters.
Furthermore, by selecting a Democrat as his vice president, Lincoln wanted to signal to the Southern states that his administration would be open to negotiating and finding a peaceful resolution to the war, in hopes of facilitating the reunification of the country after the conflict. Lincoln's plan for reconstructing the South also involved lenient policies towards Confederate states, and he believed that having a Democrat on his ticket would help garner support for these plans.
It's also worth noting that Lincoln's original running mate, Vice President Hannibal Hamlin, was a Republican from Maine. However, Hamlin was viewed by some Republicans as too liberal and unappealing to the crucial border states like Tennessee and Kentucky.
In the end, President Lincoln's decision to choose Andrew Johnson as his vice president was driven by a desire for political unity, wartime considerations, and the need to strengthen his chances of re-election during a critical period in American history.