Eliza Johnson (née McCardle; October 4, 1810 – January 15, 1876) was the first lady of the United States from 1865 to 1869. She served as the second lady of the United States in 1865. She was the wife of Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States. Early life and marriage Eliza McCardle was born in Greeneville, Tennessee, the only child of John McCardle, a shoemaker, and Sarah Phillips. The family moved to Warrensburg, Tennessee while McCardle was young, but they returned to Greeneville following her father's death. McCardle was raised by her widowed mother, who financially supported her by weaving and taught her to read and write. McCardle attended school and received a basic education. McCardle met Andrew Johnson when his family moved to Greeneville in September 1826. She is said to have first seen him while talking amongst her friends, who began to tease her when she expressed her interest in the tailor's apprentice. McCardle and Johnson began courting almost immediately. The Johnsons left the city later that year, and the couple exchanged letters under he returned in 1827. They married on May 17, 1827. Mordecai Lincoln, the cousin once removed of Abraham Lincoln, presided over the nuptials. McCardle was 16-years-old, making her the youngest to marry of all the first ladies of the United States. After marrying, the couple moved into a two room house, where one of the rooms served as a tailor shop. Eliza Johnson provided her husband much of his formal education, though a common myth suggests that she even taught him to read and write. They had five children together: Martha in 1828, Charles in 1830, Mary in 1832, Robert in 1834, and Frank in 1852. Once they began having children, much of Johnson's time was spent tending to the household while her husband operated his tailor shop. In 1831, they purchased a larger home as well as a separate facility for the shop. They moved to a larger home again in 1851. As her husband attained higher political offices, Johnson avoided the social role associated with a politician's wife, instead tending to their home. By this point, the household included eight or nine slaves. Though she did not accompany her husband when he traveled for his work, she supported him, providing encouragement and helping him with his speeches. She suffered from tuberculosis, causing her to become infirm. Her health improved