Editing Andrew Johnson (section)

=== Vice Presidency and Assassination Attempt ===
As Vice-President during Lincoln’s reign, Johnson had a strong disliking for the aristocracy whom he thought were there by the labor of the poor such as his own family. “Glassy-eyed and smelling of whiskey, he reminded Congress, the Supreme Court, the Cabinet, and pretty much everyone within hearing distance that they owed their positions to “plebeians” such as himself, then kissed the Bible and staggered away”. In response, the ''New York Times'' said “To think that one frail life stands between this insolent, clownish creature and the presidency! May God bless and spare Abraham Lincoln!” 

On April 14, 1865, he and Abraham Lincoln met for the first time since  the inauguration. Then, at about 10:15 pm that night, Lincoln was fatally shot by [[John Wilkes Booth]], while watching a play at Ford’s Theater with his wife Mary and two substitute guests. Lincoln’s assassination was part of Booth’s own criminal deed to not only kill Lincoln, but Booth also assigned his fellow henchmen, [[George Atzerodt]], to assassinate Johnson at the Kirkwood Hotel and [[Lewis Powell]] to assassinate Secretary of State [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_H._Seward William Seward] at his mansion. At approximately the same time when Booth shot Lincoln at Ford's Theater and Powell nearly attacking Seward at his mansion, Atzerodt did not have the courage to shoot Johnson at the Kirkwood Hotel. Instead of killing the vice president, he just got drunk and ran away into his cousin's home, where he was arrested for participating in the conspiracy to kill Lincoln and revive the Confederacy. Several hours after Lincoln's death on April 15, 1865, Johnson took his presidential oath whilst completely drunk. In the coming months after Booth’s own murder by Sergeant [https://real-life-heroes.fandom.com/wiki/Boston_Corbett Boston Corbett], Atzerodt was sentenced to be hanged on July 7, 1865, along with Lewis Powell, [[David Herold]], and [[Mary Surratt]].