andrew johnson adkins
1865-1927
Life Story
From Reconstruction Promise to Industrial Migration
The life of Andrew Johnson Adkins reflects the journey of a generation born at the fragile dawn of freedom — raised in Reconstruction’s uncertain promise, matured under Jim Crow’s tightening grip, and ultimately drawn northward during the Great Migration.
His story mirrors the broader African American experience of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries: land, labor, loss, adaptation, and migration.
Early Life: A Name Born in Reconstruction
Andrew was born in Mississippi in November 1865, just months after the Civil War ended. His parents, Thomas “Tom” Atkins and Frances “Fannie” Lewis, named him Andrew Johnson — the sitting U.S. President who had succeeded Abraham Lincoln earlier that year.
For a Black family in Mississippi in 1865, such a name likely carried layered meaning. Whether it reflected political optimism, awareness of national leadership, or simply the cultural weight of the moment, the name was undeniably tied to Reconstruction — a period defined by hope, uncertainty, and contested freedom.
Andrew grew up in a large household in Neshoba County before the family relocated to Newton County by 1880. Like his brothers Alfred and William, he entered field labor early, working as a farm laborer in the cotton-driven economy of east Mississippi.
His childhood was shaped by toil — but also by transition. He belonged to the first generation raised entirely outside slavery.
Establishing Roots in Newton County
Andrew’s first marriage was with Fannie Kidd. The couple married in Newton County on March 20, 1890. His second marriage took place on September 21, 1893, when Andrew married Maggie Jane Wash. Together, they built a household in Beat 4 of Newton County.
Over the next two decades, Andrew’s life followed a pattern familiar to many striving Black farmers:
Land and Labor
By 1910, Andrew had achieved a significant milestone — he owned his own farm. Though the property carried a mortgage, he was listed as an “employer,” indicating that he operated his land independently rather than as a sharecropper.
In the context of Jim Crow Mississippi, Black landownership represented stability, dignity, and autonomy.
Family Growth
Andrew and Maggie raised a large family, including:
- Marian
- Bessie
- Anna
- Amos
- J.T.
- Zeddie
- L.D.
- Eliza
- Essie
Their household reflected both economic ambition and generational investment.
Literacy
Despite limited access to formal schooling in rural Mississippi, Andrew learned to read and write — skills consistently recorded in census documents. Literacy would later ease his transition into urban life.
The Great Migration: A Northern Turn
Sometime after 1920, Andrew and Maggie joined the Great Migration, relocating to Gary, Indiana.
The move marked a dramatic shift:
From rural farmland to industrial city.
From agricultural independence to wage labor.
From Mississippi’s cotton fields to Indiana’s steel corridors.
By 1925, city directories show Andrew residing at 2613 Washington Street in Gary and working as a laborer. At the time of his death, he was employed as a janitor and living with his family at 2509 Connecticut Street.
Gary, a booming steel city founded in 1906, drew thousands of Black migrants seeking industrial wages and relief from Southern racial violence and agricultural instability.
Andrew was among them.
Final Years and Death
Andrew Johnson Adkins passed away on May 19, 1927, at the age of 61. His death certificate lists the causes as:
- Acute nephritis
- Myocarditis
- Complicated by bronchial pneumonia
He was laid to rest in Oak Hill Cemetery in Gary, Indiana — far from the Mississippi soil where he was born.
Key Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Birth | November 1865, Mississippi |
| Parents | Thomas Atkins & Fannie Lewis |
| Spouse | Maggie Jane Adkins |
| Occupations | Farmer (MS); Laborer/Janitor (IN) |
| Migration | Moved to Gary, Indiana (after 1920) |
| Death | May 19, 1927 (Gary, Indiana) |
| Burial | Oak Hill Cemetery, Gary |
Legacy
Andrew Johnson Adkins began life in the first months of freedom and ended it in the industrial North.
He moved from:
Reconstruction-era farm labor
to independent landholder
to urban wage worker.
His journey captures the arc of a generation — born into hope, constrained by Jim Crow, and propelled northward by necessity and ambition.
Though his name carried the weight of a president, his legacy rests in something quieter but just as powerful:
Steady labor.
Family endurance.
Migration in pursuit of a better future.
Through him, the Adkins lineage bridged Mississippi soil and Midwestern steel — a testament to resilience across regions and eras.
📜 Historical Sidebar
Andrew Johnson and Reconstruction: Promise and Conflict
When Andrew Johnson became President in April 1865 following Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, the nation stood at a crossroads. The Civil War had ended, but the future of four million newly freed African Americans remained unsettled.
Johnson’s Reconstruction policies would profoundly shape the lives of Black families in Mississippi and across the South.
Presidential Background
Andrew Johnson was a Southern Democrat from Tennessee who remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War. Though he opposed secession, he did not support full racial equality.
His presidency (1865–1869) marked the beginning of what historians call “Presidential Reconstruction.”
Key Features of Johnson’s Reconstruction Policies
1. Rapid Restoration of Southern States
Johnson allowed former Confederate states to re-enter the Union quickly with minimal requirements. Southern legislatures were permitted to form new governments with limited federal oversight.
2. Black Codes
Under Johnson’s lenient approach, Southern states enacted “Black Codes” — laws designed to restrict the freedom of formerly enslaved people. These codes:
- Limited movement and labor options
- Imposed harsh vagrancy laws
- Restricted property ownership and legal rights
Mississippi was among the first states to implement Black Codes in late 1865.
3. Opposition to Expanded Black Civil Rights
Johnson vetoed:
- The Freedmen’s Bureau expansion
- The Civil Rights Act of 1866
Congress overrode his vetoes, but his resistance signaled that the federal government would not strongly enforce Black equality under his leadership.
4. Conflict with Congress
Johnson’s policies led to open conflict with Radical Republicans in Congress, who sought stronger protections for freedmen. His obstruction of Reconstruction reforms eventually resulted in his impeachment in 1868 (though he was acquitted by one vote in the Senate).
The Paradox of the Name
For Black families in Mississippi in late 1865, the name “Andrew Johnson” may have symbolized national leadership and the dawn of freedom.
Yet historically, Johnson’s policies:
- Allowed former Confederate elites to regain power
- Failed to protect freed people from racial violence
- Enabled the rise of Jim Crow foundations
The paradox is striking.
A child born in November 1865 and named Andrew Johnson entered a world shaped by both emancipation and the rollback of its protections.
Why This Context Matters
Understanding Andrew Johnson’s Reconstruction policies helps illuminate the environment into which Andrew Johnson Adkins was born:
- A brief window of federal promise
- Followed by local resistance
- Leading into decades of segregation
His life — from Mississippi farmland to Indiana industry — unfolded in the shadow of these political decisions.
The name he carried connects personal biography to national history.
Resting Place
Oak Hill Cemetery, Gary, Indiana
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1870 – 1920 Federal Censuses
- Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2011
- U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995
- U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
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