Download By: Tori Bezoza NOT FAIR! NOT GUILTY! NOT RIGHT!

PRESIDENT ANDREW
JOHNSON IMPEACHED 1868
NOT FAIR! NOT GUILTY! NOT RIGHT!
By: Tori Bezoza
Background: Johnson’s Term
Johnson was Vice President when President Lincoln was
assassinated.
He was a democratic Senator from Tennessee and the only
southern Senator to support the Union after the Confederates fired
on Fort Sumpter.
He became President when the nation was finished with the
Civil War and in crisis. He needed to piece the United states
back together. Focusing on bringing the south back to the
Union was his main problem. He was against Lincoln's
original strategy for reconnecting called The Wade- Davis
Plan.
Radicals
Radicals included the Republicans and the Congress.
Many radicals were against Johnson because he became a democrat.
When Johnson became president congress was not scheduled to have
another meeting until the next december. Republicans, though,
wanted Johnson to call congress into session to make new rules for the
south.
Johnson refused to let them.
The Conflict
Radicals soon turned against President Johnson and were out to
“get” him. They took away powers from the President that the
Constitution gave him.
In doing this, they hoped to frustrate Johnson and make him violate
one of the new laws. Then they would have a reason to convict him.
When Congress passed the Tenure of Office Act, which said the
president could not dismiss any federal official without the consent
of the senate, Johnson was fed up.
Then Johnson's number one enemy who was Secretary of State,
Stanton, and in Lincoln's original cabinet, started to plot against
Johnson.
What did Johnson do?
Johnson fired Stanton for personal
reasons and to test the Tenure of Office
Act.
It wasn’t a big deal that he went against
this small law because he believed it
was unconstitutional. Sadly, it was
enough for the radicals to “get” him.
Steps to Johnson’s
Impeachment
The President could only be removed if he was
impeached or convicted of treason, bribery, or other
high crimes.
First the House of Representatives would have to
“impeach” the president. Then the President would
be tried in the Senate and 2/3 would have to support
it.
The Senate met on March 30, 1868 to talk about the
future president, after the House impeached Johnson.
Outcome
President Andrew Johnson was found not guilty when he was
impeached.
He did not run for his second term of presidency because he
knew he would never win.
If Johnson was impeached and convicted, it would have been the
first time the Congress was in total control.
Johnson tried his best to live up to Abraham Lincoln’s ideals but
sadly the nation was not on his side.
Very Unfair!
Johnson believed many of the laws enforced by
Congress were unwise but still he tried very hard
to enforce each and every one of them.
Congress was mad because they weren't the
one’s in control and since Johnson was, which he
is supposed to be, they couldn’t bear it.
Congress took away so many powers from the
president that he was getting impatient but they
made the started the big problem, not him.
THE
END