EP 117: The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

This week on Hashtag History, we will be discussing the impeachment of Andrew Johnson, the seventeenth President of the United States of America, marking the first impeachment of a US President.

Johnson had a particularly unpopular presidency, having been thrust into the position following Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Many in Congress opposed his Reconstruction plan and his overall practices. They passed a bill called the Tenure of Office Act in March 1867 which essentially restricted the President’s power by prohibiting him from removing certain officials with the approval of the Senate. So when Johnson did just that by attempting to remove Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton from the Cabinet (not once; but twice!) without the proper approvals, the House of Representatives brought forth articles of impeachment for Andrew Johnson. However, failing to meet the two-thirds majority required to convict and officially remove Johnson from office, he would continue to serve out the rest of his presidential term.

Because impeachment does not mean removal from office.

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