Born in Leesburg, Tennessee on October 4, 1810, Eliza McCardle was raised in poverty. Her father, John McCardle, was a shoe cobbler and innkeeper. After he died in 1826, his widow, Sarah Phillips, earned money as a weaver, while Eliza contributed by making quilts and sandals. Despite her humble beginnings, Eliza received a rather decent education at the Rhea Academy in Greeneville, Tennessee. There she was exposed to a range of subjects that included grammar, arithmetic, history, and philosophy.

In 1827 at age 16 she married Andrew Johnson age 18. The pair were married by Justice of the Peace Mordecai Lincoln, the first cousin of Thomas Lincoln, whose son, Abraham, would later become president.

During the early years of their marriage, Andrew worked as a tailor. Fortunately, Eliza was better educated than her husband, who by this time had barely taught himself to read and spell a little. Andrew credited his wife for teaching him to do arithmetic and to write, as he had never attended school. She tutored him patiently and helped him refine his reading, writing, and oral communication skills while he labored in his tailor shop, she often read aloud to him.

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