After Abraham Lincoln’s tragic assassination in 1865, America was shattered — and suddenly, Vice President Andrew Johnson found himself leading a nation still bleeding from the Civil War. But instead of bringing unity, Johnson’s presidency brought chaos and conflict. He clashed bitterly with Congress over how to rebuild the South, vetoing laws designed to protect the rights of newly freed African Americans. His stubbornness and refusal to cooperate turned Washington into a battlefield. In 1868,