Page "Andrew Johnson" Paragraph 10

Johnson returned to Raleigh and moved with his mother, stepfather and brother to Greeneville, Tennessee.

There he established a very successful tailoring business in the front of his home ; he was joined by a partner, Hentle W. Adkinson.

At the age of 18, Johnson married 16-year-old Eliza McCardle in 1827 ; she was the daughter of a local shoemaker.

The couple were married for 50 years and had five children: Martha ( 1828 ), Charles ( 1830 ), Mary ( 1832 ), Robert ( 1834 ), and Andrew Jr. ( 1852 ).

Though she suffered from consumption, Eliza supported Johnson's endeavors.

She taught her husband arithmetic up to basic algebra and tutored him to improve his literacy, reading, and writing skills.