Posted on Feb 24, 2016
President Andrew Johnson impeached - Feb 24, 1868 - HISTORY.com
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Did you know that President Andrew Johnson was impeached on February 24, 1868?
148 years ago President Andrew Johnson was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives votes 11 articles of impeachment against him, nine of which cite Johnson’s removal of Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, a violation of the Tenure of Office Act. President Johnson was the 1st president to be impeached in U.S. history.
148 years ago President Andrew Johnson was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives votes 11 articles of impeachment against him, nine of which cite Johnson’s removal of Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, a violation of the Tenure of Office Act. President Johnson was the 1st president to be impeached in U.S. history.
President Andrew Johnson impeached - Feb 24, 1868 - HISTORY.com
Posted from history.comPosted in these groups: 
American History
Office of the President (POTUS)
American History Office of the President (POTUS)
Edited 9 y ago
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 7
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This was during the reconstruction period in our history; a very tense time indeed. President Johnson, was also the same president that subverted many efforts to unite our Country during this time.
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Andrew Johnson was an interesting character. He must have had courage to side with the union as a senator from tennessee which seceded. I expect his family may well have suffered because of that decision.
The folowing information was extracted from the "http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/president-andrew-johnson-impeached" website.
"At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Andrew Johnson, a senator from Tennessee, was the only U.S. senator from a seceding state who remained loyal to the Union. In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln appointed him military governor of Tennessee, and in 1864 he was elected vice president of the United States. Sworn in as president after Lincoln’s assassination in April 1865, President Johnson enacted a lenient Reconstruction policy for the defeated South, including almost total amnesty to ex-Confederates, a program of rapid restoration of U.S.-state status for the seceded states, and the approval of new, local Southern governments, which were able to legislate “Black Codes” that preserved the system of slavery in all but its name."
"On February 21, 1868, Johnson decided to rid himself of Stanton once and for all and appointed General Lorenzo Thomas, an individual far less favorable to the Congress than Grant, as secretary of war. Stanton refused to yield, barricading himself in his office, and the House of Representatives, which had already discussed impeachment after Johnson’s first dismissal of Stanton, initiated formal impeachment proceedings against the president. On February 24, Johnson was impeached, and on March 13 his impeachment trial began in the Senate under the direction of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase. The trial ended on May 26 with Johnson’s opponents narrowly failing to achieve the two-thirds majority necessary to convict him."
The folowing information was extracted from the "http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/president-andrew-johnson-impeached" website.
"At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Andrew Johnson, a senator from Tennessee, was the only U.S. senator from a seceding state who remained loyal to the Union. In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln appointed him military governor of Tennessee, and in 1864 he was elected vice president of the United States. Sworn in as president after Lincoln’s assassination in April 1865, President Johnson enacted a lenient Reconstruction policy for the defeated South, including almost total amnesty to ex-Confederates, a program of rapid restoration of U.S.-state status for the seceded states, and the approval of new, local Southern governments, which were able to legislate “Black Codes” that preserved the system of slavery in all but its name."
"On February 21, 1868, Johnson decided to rid himself of Stanton once and for all and appointed General Lorenzo Thomas, an individual far less favorable to the Congress than Grant, as secretary of war. Stanton refused to yield, barricading himself in his office, and the House of Representatives, which had already discussed impeachment after Johnson’s first dismissal of Stanton, initiated formal impeachment proceedings against the president. On February 24, Johnson was impeached, and on March 13 his impeachment trial began in the Senate under the direction of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase. The trial ended on May 26 with Johnson’s opponents narrowly failing to achieve the two-thirds majority necessary to convict him."
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SSgt Robert Marx
It seems to me that the president did not do anything wrong but the Congress had forced through a law over his impeachment concerning retaining cabinet members. Such a law was clearly unconstitutional. President Johnson tried to get the Supreme Court to throw it out but instead he became impeached.
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PO3 Steven Sherrill
SSgt Robert Marx - It is interesting in so much as that is how the system should sort of work. When the law needs to be changed, the congress passes new laws, and the supreme court determines the constitutionality of it. Of course the intent is not to write laws convenient for getting rid of pain in the ass politicians. If that was the case then there would be no one left in DC at all. Additionally, the cabinet is supposed to function in an advisory capacity to the President. If a cabinet member reaches a point where the president has no confidence in their abilities, then it is the President's prerogative to replace that person. IF congress doesn't like the replacement, there voice comes in voting down the President's choice for a replacement. Again, that would be in a world where the system works as designed. Problem is there is too much measuring going on, not enough working together.
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LTC Stephen F.
SSgt Robert Marx - you have to remember that this was soon after the immensely bloody and divisive civil war which ravaged the south. Johnson had pushed through his Reconstruction initiative in a manner reminiscent of the affordable care act more recently. The Congress was trying to reign in the POTUS, Johnson wanted to shuffle the secretary of war, Congress resisted, the SCOTUS refused to intervene, Johnson barricaded himself in his office, etc. Those were different times and it was not too far removed from when duels were fought.
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SSgt Robert Marx
LTC Stephen F. - That is true. Also, the sitting president was from a different party then the majority party in both the House & Senate. The Civil War had been a truly bloody war, the first with many weapons such as machine guns and breach loaded rifles were widely used. Even submarines figured into the fighting! The medical department was grossly inadequate and so pneumonia killed off many men. Most serious wounds led to amputation and close to 90% of amputations led to death. The germ theory was unknown at this point. Such a waste of human life!
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Yes, President Johnson was the first president to be impeached. For his Senate trial, the two-thirds vote necessary for conviction was missed by one senator's vote. I forget the name of that senator, but I know that he was not reappointed to the Senate. In that day, state legislatures voted their respective senators into office.
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