History Daily The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
Feb 24, 2026
A deep dive into the 1868 showdown that made a president the first to face impeachment. Political battles over the Tenure of Office Act and control of the War Department take center stage. Clashes over Reconstruction policy, clashes with Edwin Stanton, and Ulysses S. Grant’s pivotal role shape the drama. The Senate trial’s razor-thin vote and the political aftermath are highlighted.
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Booth's Death Sparked The Postwar Power Struggle
- John Wilkes Booth was discovered wounded in a burning Virginia barn after a massive manhunt following Lincoln's assassination.
- Detective Everton Conger dragged Booth from the blaze where Booth uttered his final words, useless, useless, illustrating the dramatic hunt that set postwar power struggles in motion.
Johnson Versus Stanton About Federal Power
- Andrew Johnson vetoed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and believed federal interference in states' rights was unconstitutional.
- Edwin M. Stanton opposed Johnson in cabinet, championing protections for freedmen, creating a fundamental policy rift over Reconstruction.
Tenure of Office Act Was A Political Trap
- Radical Republicans used the Tenure of Office Act to block Johnson from removing Senate-appointed officials, explicitly criminalizing violations as high misdemeanors.
- The law was designed as a trap to protect figures like Stanton and to give Congress leverage over the presidency during Reconstruction.