Final answer:
President Johnson chose William L. Sharkey to be the provisional governor of Mississippi because he wanted to establish a new government in the state and undermine the conservatives who supported slavery.
Step-by-step explanation:
President Johnson chose William L. Sharkey to be the provisional governor of Mississippi after Confederate forces withdrew from Tennessee in 1862. Johnson appointed Sharkey as the military governor and instructed him to establish a new government. Although Johnson convinced Lincoln to exempt Tennessee from the Emancipation Proclamation, the state was divided on the issue of slavery. Sharkey eventually sided with those who wanted to abolish slavery, and he took action to undermine the conservatives by expanding on the loyalty oath outlined in the Ten Percent Plan. In Tennessee, potential voters had to declare loyalty to the Union, vow to fight the Confederacy, and support the end of slavery.