Why did Radical Republicans believe that Andrew Johnson would support their agenda? Why was Johnson ultimately unable to lend his support to the Civil Rights Act of 1866 or to the Fourteenth Amendment?

The Radical Republicans believed that Andrew Johnson would support their agenda because he had been a strong advocate for the Union during the Civil War and had been a proponent of emancipation. Additionally, Johnson had been a Democrat from the South, and the Radical Republicans hoped that he would help with the reconstruction of the Southern states in a way that would benefit newly freed slaves.

However, Johnson ultimately was unable to lend his support to the Civil Rights Act of 1866 or to the Fourteenth Amendment for several reasons. First, Johnson was a staunch believer in states' rights and believed that the federal government should have limited involvement in the affairs of the Southern states. He also believed that the Civil Rights Act and the Fourteenth Amendment were unconstitutional and overstepped the bounds of federal authority.

Furthermore, Johnson's own racial prejudices and his desire to win the support of Southern whites led him to oppose legislation that would grant equal rights to African Americans. He vetoed the Civil Rights Act of 1866, but Congress overrode his veto, marking the first time in history that Congress had overridden a presidential veto on a major piece of legislation.

Ultimately, Johnson's inability to support the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Fourteenth Amendment led to a deepening divide between him and the Radical Republicans, and ultimately to his impeachment by the House of Representatives. Despite the Radical Republicans' initial hopes, Johnson's presidency was marked by his opposition to their agenda and his failure to support legislation that would secure equal rights for African Americans.