President Andrew Johnson, the 17th President of the United States, played a significant role in shaping Black history during the Reconstruction era following the Civil War. Johnson, a southern Democrat from Tennessee, took office after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. Despite initially showing support for Black Americans and their rights, Johnson's policies became increasingly hostile towards them during his presidency.

Johnson's Reconstruction policies favored restoring the southern states to the Union quickly, often at the expense of protecting the rights and freedoms of newly freed Black individuals. He issued pardons to many former Confederates and allowed southern states to establish "Black Codes" that restricted the rights of Black people, effectively enabling the continuation of systems of oppression and discrimination.

Johnson's clashes with the Radical Republicans in Congress, who pushed for more progressive policies that protected the rights of Black Americans, resulted in tensions that ultimately led to his impeachment in 1868. While he was not removed from office, his presidency weakened efforts to secure equal rights for Black Americans and laid the groundwork for the rise of Jim Crow laws and segregation in the following decades.

Overall, Andrew Johnson's legacy in Black history is one of missed opportunities and setbacks for the advancement of civil rights and equality for Black Americans during the critical Reconstruction period.