Overview

March 16, 1868

April 15, 1865Andrew Johnson takes

over as President after assassination of

President Lincoln.

Johnson impeachment trial takes place – avoids removal by

one vote.

The 17th President, Andrew

Johnson, becomes the the

FIRST U.S. President to be

impeached in 1868.

Johnson was in office just under

THREE years when the House of

Representatives formally

brought impeachment charges.

April 15, 1865

Johnson becomes President of the United States upon the death of President

Abraham Lincoln

- Even though Lincoln’s Vice President, Johnson was a

Southerner (from Tennessee) and was a Democrat (unlike Lincoln).

- Owned slaves prior to war

- “He held no views on race that could be considered

‘unorthodox’ in the South.”

Late-April, 1865

In spite of strong opposition from Republicans in Congress, Johnson keeps

Lincoln’s cabinet in tact.

War: Edwin Stanton

Treasury: Salmon Chase,Hugh McCulloch

Attorney General: Edward Bates,James Speed

Navy:Gideon Welles

StateWilliam Seward

InteriorCaleb SmithJohn Usher

Postmaster General:Montgomery BlairWilliam Dennison

- Republicans in Congress hoped Johnson would be tougher on the South than Lincoln was.

- After he kept Lincoln’s cabinet, Congress started to oppose him.

May 29, 1865

Johnson issues his Proclamation of Amnesty, which proposes his plan for

Reconstruction. He does this while Congress is not in session…on purpose.

- There had been an ongoing struggle between the Executive

and Legislative branches of government over who would

direct Reconstruction.

- By issuing his plan when Congress was not in

session, it made it clear to the public who was in

charge…

an official pardon for people who have been convicted of political offenses

December, 1865

Radical Republicans in Congress refuse to seat those elected from rebel states

- Cite election fraud/abuse in Southern states

- Radicals in Congress advocate a Congressional-takeover of Reconstruction

February 19, 1866

President Johnson vetoes a bill to increase funding for, and extends, Freedman’s

Bureau.

- Many in Congress begin to rise up and stop Johnson’s

efforts to dismantle Reconstruction

- Congress eventually overrides veto

February 22, 1866

Johnson gives a speech on George Washington’s

birthday, calling radicals in Congress “dis-unionists.”

- Speech delivered one day after Congress overrides veto

- Johnson called out many Congressmen by name; accused them of being

disloyal to Union

March 27, 1866

Johnson vetoes the Civil Rights Bill. This bill extended citizenship to “all persons born in the United States…of every race and color…without

regard to previous condition of servitude.”

- Congress overrides the veto 3 weeks later

- But, Congress worried the act wouldn’t survive future

Congresses.

- Resolutions are brought forward in Congress that would later become the

14th Amendment.

May, 1866

Tensions heighten between the President and Congress due to race riots in Memphis, TN.

- Conflict between black soldiers and white peace

officers leads to death of 46 men, women, and children;

4 black churches and 12 schools burned.

- Pushes public opinion closer toward the Radical

Republican plan for Reconstruction.

July, 1866

Race riots take place in New Orleans, LA.

- Riots are cited as evidence that the

President’s “Proclamation of

Amnesty and Reconstruction” was not working.

August, 1866

To save his plan (and his image) Johnson travels across the country, delivers famous “Swing

Around the Circle” speeches

- Intended to garner support for those in

Congress who supported his plan

before the mid-term elections.

- Speeches viewed as ineffective.

- Johnson continues to label the Radicals in Congress as

“dis-unionists.”

November, 1866

Radicals win many victories in the 1866 mid-term elections – gain majorities of over two-thirds in

each branch of Congress.

Radicals believed themselves to be in a good

position to demand that Southern states accept

the proposed 14th amendment.

What does this mean, if the

Radicals now have over 2/3

support in each side of

Congress?

March 2, 1867

The new Congress passes the first Reconstruction Act. Johnson vetoes the act, but is quickly overridden by the new Congress (remember, radicals have 2/3 majority in both sides).

- Divides the south into 5 military districts to enforce a

stricter Reconstruction policy.

- Required states ratify the 14th Amendment before it

could be readmitted or have its representatives seated in

Congress

- Firmly placed control of Reconstruction into the hands of Congress, not

the President.

March 2, 1867

Congress overrides Johnson’s veto of the Tenure of Office Act.

- Required Senate approval before the

President could dismiss any government official

who was originally approved by the Senate (including members of

the cabinet)

- Done to protect Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton,

since he was supporter of Radical agenda

- Law eventually struck down in 1926 as unconstitutional!

August 12, 1867

Johnson temporarily suspends Secretary of War Edwin Stanton and replaces him with General Ulysses S.

Grant. Congress is out of session at the time.

- Oh, snap! Is this legal?

January, 1868

The Senate votes when they return and they do not consent to removing Stanton.

- Johnson ignores Senate vote and presents Stanton

with formal dismissal

- This was a flagrant violation of the Tenure of Office Act, and sufficient grounds for

impeachment.

February 24, 1868

Impeachment charges filed against Johnson by the House of Representatives.

- 9 of 11 charges are on violation of Tenure of

Office Act

- The remaining 2 charges dealt with his libelous

speech against members of Congress.

Libel: published false statements that are damaging to one’s character

March 30, 1868

The Senate begins the first ever impeachment trial of a U.S. president.

- While a president who is found guilty can remain

in office, most Americans agreed that if found guilty then he had to

leave.

May 16, 1868

The Senate fails to convict Johnson of the impeachment by only one vote.

- Andrew Johnson was acquitted of all charges

filed in the impeachment.

acquit: free someone from a criminal charge by a verdict of not guilty.

- A later Supreme Court (1926;

Myers vs. United States) ruling that the Tenure of Office Act

was “invalid.”

- Johnson had the power to dismiss Stanton all along!

The aftermath of

Johnson’s

impeachment?- Vetoed virtually every act of Congress through

the remainder of his term and Congress

continued to override him- Could not secure the

Democratic nomination for President in 1868 (Horatio Seymour got

it!)

- Replaced by Ulysses S Grant in 1868

Johnson was the

only President

to be

impeached until

the 1998

impeachment of

Bill Clinton. The

only two

presidents to be

impeached were

both acquitted!