After his departure from the presidency, Andrew Johnson returned to Greeneville, Tenn., where he lived before becoming involved in state and later national politics. He had arranged to purchase a farm outside of town, but found life boring and sought political office on multiple occasions. Johnson was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1875, but died on July 31 after suffering a series of strokes.
Johnson was buried on a plot of land he purchased in 1852 that overlooked town because he enjoyed the view from the place known as “Signal Hill.” Following the construction of a large monument by his grave in 1878, locals began referring to the hill as “Monument Hill.” In 1906, the cemetery became a national cemetery under the administration of the Department of War. In 1942, the National Park Service took over the cemetery, and it became part of the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site.
