President Andrew Johnson played a complex and controversial role in Black history during the Reconstruction era following the Civil War. Johnson, who became president after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, was a Southern Democrat who opposed many of the reforms aimed at protecting the rights of formerly enslaved people.

Johnson's approach to Reconstruction was lenient towards the former Confederate states, allowing them to quickly rejoin the Union without fully securing the rights of newly freed African Americans. He also clashed with the Radical Republicans in Congress who sought to implement more comprehensive measures to protect Black rights, such as the Civil Rights Act and the 14th Amendment.

Johnson's opposition to these measures, along with his pardoning of many former Confederates and his veto of key Reconstruction legislation, led to a tumultuous period in which the rights and protections of African Americans were often undermined. His impeachment by the House of Representatives in 1868 was largely a result of his clashes with Congress over Reconstruction policies.

Ultimately, Johnson's presidency had a significant impact on the progress of Black rights during Reconstruction, highlighting the challenges faced by African Americans in securing their freedoms in the post-Civil War era.