After President Johnson lost the Democratic Party nomination for the 1868 presidential election, he finished his term in office and then returned to Tennessee. "I have performed my duty to my God, my country, and my family," he insisted as he left Washington. "I have nothing to fear."

Back at home, he stayed involved with politics, running unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. However, he returned to the Senate in 1875, becoming the only U.S. President to serve in the Senate after his presidential tenure. On learning of his election, Johnson commented, "I'd rather have this information than to learn that I had been elected President of the United States. Thank God for the vindication." As a senator, Johnson spoke out against the policies and corruption of the administration of Ulysses S. Grant.

He did not serve long in the Senate; he suffered a stroke in July 1875 and died shortly thereafter. He is buried in Greenville, Tennessee, in what is now the Andrew Johnson National Cemetery. The cemetery is part of the Andrew Johnson National Historic Site, which also includes his residence.