What Were the Charges Agains President Andrew Johnson
Article
The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
From the Collection: The Presidents
On February 24, 1868, something extraordinary happened in the U.S. Congress. For the offset time in history, the United States House of Representatives impeached a sitting president, Democrat Andrew Johnson. At present, Johnson faced trial before the U. S. Senate. If convicted, he would be removed from role.
Vice President Johnson had assumed role after John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln, on April 15, 1865. He was a Union man, merely his roots were in the South. "This is a state for white men," he had reportedly declared, "and as long as I am president, it shall be a regime for white men." Johnson had failed to win favor with the Radical Republicans. The radicals, who included men like Thaddeus Stevens and Benjamin Butler, wanted to guarantee the rights of the freedmen. Ane manner they tried to do so was by passing the Reconstruction Acts, laws that provided suffrage to freed slaves and prevented sometime Southern rebels from regaining command of the country governments.
Believing the Acts to be wrong and unconstitutional, Johnson repeatedly blocked their enforcement. He repeatedly gave pardons to ex-Rebels. He hampered military commanders' efforts to block the rise of Southern leaders to ability. In frequent speeches and interviews, Johnson publicly expressed his disobedience of the Radical Republicans. They knew that their program for reconstruction of the South could not succeed with Andrew Johnson in function.
The final accident came subsequently the passage of the Tenure of Function Human activity in 1867. This law made it impossible for the president to dismiss important authorities officials without the permission of the Senate. In a move that infuriated Congressmen, Johnson defied the act.
The president had long wanted to dismiss the Secretarial assistant of War, Edwin K. Stanton. Stanton was the simply fellow member of Johnson's cabinet who supported the Radical Republicans' program for reconstruction. On August 12, Johnson suspended Stanton. In his place, Johnson appointed the popular Full general Ulysses S. Grant Secretarial assistant of War. By doing then, Johnson hoped to challenge the constitutionality of the Tenure of Office Act.
When Congress reconvened, they overruled Stanton'south intermission, and Grant resigned his position. The event heightened Grant's popularity and depressed Johnson's -- at least as far equally Republicans were concerned. Ignoring Congress, Johnson formally dismissed Stanton on February 21, 1868. With the support of the Republicans, Stanton responded by locking himself in his office and refusing to leave.
Angered past Johnson's open defiance, the Business firm of Representatives formally impeached him on Feb 24 by a vote of 126 to 47. They charged him with violation of the Tenure of Office Act and bringing into "disgrace, ridicule, hatred, contempt, and reproach the Congress of the United states." It was and so upward to the Senate to endeavour Johnson.
Johnson'south trial began on March fourth and continued for 11 grueling weeks. During that long period, the president'due south enemies had time to reconsider the Stanton dismissal. Many of them were impressed with Johnson's practiced b ehavior during the trial. Johnson likewise took action to relieve himself. He promised to enforce the Reconstruction Acts and to give no more than speeches attacking Congress. He besides appointed a human well liked by well-nigh Republicans, Full general John Yard. Schofield, equally the new Secretary of State of war.
On May 16, 1868, President Johnson escaped removal from office by only one vote. For the residuum of his time in office, he continued to veto reconstruction bills, merely Congress overrode his vetoes. The Radical Republicans' program for reconstruction continued. In 1868, the Republican candidate, Full general Ulysses S. Grant, won the presidency.
peiffersandid1950.blogspot.com
Source: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/grant-impeachment/
0 Response to "What Were the Charges Agains President Andrew Johnson"
Post a Comment