Andrew Johnson's Impeachment: Breaking The Tenure Of Office Act

Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States, was impeached by the House of Representatives in 1868 for high crimes and misdemeanors. The primary charge against Johnson was that he had violated the Tenure of Office Act by removing Edwin Stanton, the Secretary of War, from his cabinet without the consent of Congress. The Tenure of Office Act, passed over Johnson's veto in 1867, stated that a president could not dismiss appointed officials without Congressional approval. Johnson believed the Act was unconstitutional and wanted it to be legally tried in the courts. However, it was the president himself who was put on trial.

Johnson broke the Tenure of Office Act by removing Edwin Stanton, Secretary of War, from his cabinet

Andrew Johnson was impeached for violating the Tenure of Office Act by removing Edwin Stanton, the Secretary of War, from his cabinet. Stanton was an appointee of former President Abraham Lincoln and a strong ally of the Radical Republicans in Congress. Johnson's dismissal of Stanton was not only a political decision to relieve the discord between the president and his cabinet but also a test of the Tenure of Office Act.

The Tenure of Office Act, passed over Johnson's veto in 1867, stated that a president could not dismiss appointed officials without the consent of Congress. Johnson believed the Act was unconstitutional and wanted it to be legally tried in the courts. However, it was the president himself who was brought to trial.

Johnson's dismissal of Stanton occurred in several stages. In August 1867, while Congress was in recess, Johnson suspended Stanton and appointed Ulysses S. Grant as secretary of war ad interim. When the Senate opposed Johnson's actions and reinstated Stanton in December, Grant resigned, fearing punitive action and potential consequences for his presidential ambitions. Furious with his congressional opponents, Johnson fired Stanton and informed Congress of this action, then named Lorenzo Thomas, a long-time foe of Stanton, as interim secretary. Stanton promptly had Thomas arrested for illegally seizing his office.

Johnson's actions were seen as a direct challenge to congressional authority, and in response, an impeachment resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives by Thaddeus Stevens and John Bingham. The House voted to impeach Johnson on February 24, 1868, and the Senate tried the case from March to May 1868.

Of the eleven articles of impeachment, nine were directly related to Johnson's violation of the Tenure of Office Act and Stanton's removal. The other two articles accused Johnson of violating more fundamental constitutional norms regarding the presidency and separation of powers.

In the end, Johnson was acquitted by a vote of 35 guilty to 19 not guilty, falling one vote short of the two-thirds majority needed to convict. In 1926, the Supreme Court declared that the Tenure of Office Act was invalid.

Johnson's vetoes and impeachment were the result of political conflict and a rupture of ideologies in the aftermath of the Civil War

Johnson's impeachment was the culmination of a series of political clashes and ideological differences between the President and the Republican-controlled Congress during the Reconstruction Era following the Civil War. Johnson, who became president after Lincoln's assassination in 1865, prioritised a lenient and swift "restoration" of the defeated Southern states to the Union. In contrast, the Radical Republicans in Congress advocated for stricter terms for readmission, including military governments and greater federal control. Johnson's opposition to political rights for freed slaves further alienated him from moderates and conservatives.

Johnson's vetoes of legislation aimed at protecting the rights of freed slaves, such as the Freedmen's Bureau Bill and the Civil Rights Bill, exacerbated tensions with Congress. The President's dismissal of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, an ally of the Radical Republicans, became the tipping point. Johnson's removal of Stanton violated the Tenure of Office Act, passed over his veto in 1867, which required presidential appointments and dismissals to be approved by the Senate. This breach provided the political impetus for impeachment proceedings.

Johnson's impeachment trial in the Senate centred on his alleged violation of the Tenure of Office Act. The President's defence team argued that the Act was unconstitutional and interfered with the President's power to execute laws faithfully. Meanwhile, the prosecution asserted that Johnson had wilfully broken the law. Ultimately, Johnson was acquitted by a single vote, falling short of the two-thirds majority required to convict.

Johnson's impeachment and vetoes reflected the deep ideological divide between the President and Congress over how to address the complex issues of Reconstruction in the aftermath of the Civil War. The conflict centred on competing visions of national reunification, federal power, and the civil rights of formerly enslaved people.

Johnson's impeachment was initiated by the House of Representatives on February 24, 1868, for high crimes and misdemeanors

Johnson's impeachment was initiated by the House of Representatives on February 24, 1868, for "high crimes and misdemeanors". The vote was 126-47, with every Democrat present voting against impeachment and almost all of the House Republican caucus voting in support of it.

The impeachment was the culmination of a series of clashes between Johnson and the Republican-controlled Congress over the reconstruction of the defeated South following the Civil War. Johnson repeatedly vetoed legislation that Congress passed to protect the rights of those who had been freed from slavery.

The specific charge that led to the impeachment was that Johnson had violated the Tenure of Office Act by removing Edwin Stanton, the Secretary of War, from his cabinet. The Tenure of Office Act, passed over Johnson's veto in 1867, stated that a president could not dismiss appointed officials without the consent of Congress. Johnson believed the Act was unconstitutional and wanted it to be legally tried in the courts.

The House of Representatives adopted eleven articles of impeachment against Johnson on March 2 and 3, 1868. Nine of these articles related to the Tenure of Office Act and Stanton's removal. The other two argued that Johnson had violated more fundamental constitutional norms regarding the presidency and separation of powers.

The Senate tried the case from March to May 1868, with Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase presiding. On May 16, the Senate voted against convicting Johnson on one of the articles, with its 35-19 vote in favour of conviction falling one vote short of the necessary two-thirds majority. A 10-day recess was called before the Senate reconvened to consider the remaining articles. On May 26, the Senate voted against convicting the president on two more articles by identical margins. The trial was then adjourned without votes being held on the other eight articles of impeachment.

Johnson's trial began on March 5, 1868, with Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase presiding

Johnson's impeachment trial began on March 5, 1868, with Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase presiding. The trial was the first presidential impeachment trial in U.S. history. Johnson was the first U.S. president to be impeached.

The trial was the culmination of a bitter political conflict and ideological rupture in the aftermath of the American Civil War. Johnson, a Democrat and former slave owner, was the only Southern Senator to remain in his seat when the South seceded from the Union. He was at odds with the Republican-controlled Congress, particularly the so-called Radical Republicans, over Reconstruction policies for the defeated South. Johnson repeatedly clashed with Congress, vetoing legislation that was intended to protect the rights of those who had been freed from slavery.

The specific charge that led to Johnson's impeachment was his violation of the Tenure of Office Act, passed in 1867 over his veto. The Act stated that a president could not dismiss appointed officials without the consent of Congress. Johnson, however, believed the Act was unconstitutional and wanted it to be legally tried in the courts. In August 1867, he suspended and then dismissed Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, a Lincoln appointee and ally of the Radical Republicans, without congressional approval. Johnson's dismissal of Stanton was not only a political decision but also a direct challenge to the Tenure of Office Act.

The House of Representatives voted to impeach Johnson on February 24, 1868, and forwarded eleven articles of impeachment to the Senate for trial. The trial began on March 5, with Chief Justice Chase administering the oath to the senators, who would serve as the jury. Johnson did not appear at the trial but granted several press interviews during the proceedings.

The defense team, led by Attorney General Henry Stanbery, presented a complicated argument. They contended that Johnson's actions had not violated the Tenure of Office Act, as Stanton had been appointed by Lincoln, and even if the Act was deemed constitutional, Johnson could not be impeached for a mistaken interpretation of the law. They further argued that Johnson's intent was to test the constitutionality of the Act before the Supreme Court, which he had a right to do.

The trial became a public spectacle, giving prominent senators a chance to showcase their oratory skills. It was conducted mostly in open session before a packed gallery. The trial concluded on May 16, 1868, with the Senate voting 35-19 to acquit Johnson on one of the articles, falling one vote short of the required two-thirds majority to convict. The trial was then recessed for ten days, and when it reconvened, the Senate voted on two more articles, resulting in identical vote tallies. The trial was adjourned without votes on the remaining eight articles of impeachment.

Johnson was acquitted by a margin of 35 guilty to 19 not guilty—one vote short of the two-thirds needed to convict

The impeachment of President Andrew Johnson was the result of political conflict and the rupture of ideologies in the aftermath of the American Civil War. Johnson was acquitted by a margin of 35 guilty to 19 not guilty—one vote short of the two-thirds needed to convict. This outcome had several significant implications. Firstly, it set a precedent that Congress should not remove the president from office simply because its members disagreed with the president over policy, style, and administration. Secondly, it resulted in diminished presidential influence on public policy and overall governing power, leading to a system of governance that future President Woodrow Wilson referred to as "Congressional Government".

The acquittal also had implications for future impeachment trials. It established that in future trials, the defendant would have to have committed an actual crime to be convicted. Furthermore, it prevented later Congresses from using the threat of impeachment as a means of settling policy differences with the executive branch.

The impeachment of Andrew Johnson was a highly consequential event in American history, shaping the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches and setting important precedents for future impeachment proceedings.

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