Impeachment History The Johnson Trial in the United States

Impeachment History The Johnson Trial

Introduction to Impeachment History The Johnson Trial

In February 1868 the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution of impeachment against President Andrew Johnson and appointed a committee to prepare articles of impeachment. The House passed 11 articles of impeachment against Johnson in March 1868. Ten of the articles concerned the president’s alleged violation of the Tenure of Office Act, an 1867 statute that required the president to seek congressional approval before dismissing officials confirmed by the Senate. The other charge against Johnson was a general accusation that he had attempted to undermine Congress. An outrageous charge that Johnson had been involved in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, his predecessor, was withdrawn at the last minute.

The Senate that tried Johnson was dominated by the so-called Radical Republicans, who were outraged by Johnson’s readiness to bring Confederate states back into the Union following the American Civil War (1861-1865) without assuring equal rights for former slaves. Thirty-five senators voted to convict Johnson and 19 voted to acquit, one vote short of the two-thirds majority required to remove the president. Seven moderate Republicans who feared the removal of a president would permanently damage the presidency and weaken the traditional separation of powers cast ballots for acquittal. Johnson’s trial demonstrated that impeachment is often as much a matter of politics as of law, at least in the case of a president.” (1)

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Notes and References

• Information about Impeachment History The Johnson Trial in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Impeachment History The Johnson Trial