He was the follow-up act no one wanted: Johnson took office after Lincoln was assassinated, and spent his presidency making every sloppy, chaotic move he was capable of. Everything he did — from empowering ex-Confederates to spearheading a deranged speaking tour to calling for a Congressman to be hanged — led to disaster, death, and ultimately his own disgrace.  

To view this episode’s full list of sources, please visit parcast.com/verypresidential