Overview
April 15,
Andrew Johnson takes
1865
over as President after
assassination of
President Lincoln.
March 16,
1868
Johnson impeachment
trial takes place – avoids
removal by one vote.
April 15, 1865
Johnson becomes President of the United
States upon the death of President
Abraham Lincoln
- Even though Lincoln’s Vice
President, Johnson was a
Southerner (from Tennessee) and
was a Democrat (unlike Lincoln).
- Owned slaves prior to war
- “He held no views on race
that could be considered
‘unorthodox’ in the South.”
Late-April, 1865
In spite of strong opposition from
Republicans in Congress, Johnson keeps
Lincoln’s cabinet in tact.
Treasury:
Salmon Chase,
Hugh McCulloch
Navy:
Gideon Welles
Interior
Caleb Smith
John Usher
Postmaster General:
- Republicans in Congress hoped Johnson would
Montgomery Blair
be tougher on the South than Lincoln was.
William Dennison
- After he kept Lincoln’s cabinet, Congress started
to oppose him.
War: Edwin Stanton
Attorney General:
State
William Seward
Edward Bates,
James Speed
May 29, 1865
an official pardon for people who
have been convicted of political
offenses
Johnson issues his Proclamation of
Amnesty, which proposes his plan for
Reconstruction. He does this while
Congress is not in session…on purpose.
- There had been an ongoing
struggle between the Executive
and Legislative branches of
government over who would
direct Reconstruction.
- By issuing his plan when
Congress was not in
session, it made it clear to
the public who was in
charge…
December, 1865
Radical Republicans in Congress refuse to
seat those elected from rebel states
- Cite election fraud/abuse in Southern states
- Radicals in Congress advocate a Congressionaltakeover of Reconstruction
February 19, 1866
President Johnson vetoes a
bill to increase funding for,
and extends, Freedman’s
Bureau.
- Many in Congress begin to
rise up and stop Johnson’s
efforts to dismantle
Reconstruction
- Congress eventually
overrides veto
February 22, 1866
Johnson gives a speech on
George Washington’s
birthday, calling radicals in
Congress “dis-unionists.”
- Speech delivered one day
after Congress overrides veto
- Johnson called out many
Congressmen by name;
accused them of being
disloyal to Union
March 27, 1866
Johnson vetoes the Civil Rights Bill. This bill
extended citizenship to “all persons born in the
United States…of every race and color…without
regard to previous condition of servitude.”
- Congress overrides the veto 3
weeks later
- But, Congress worried the act
wouldn’t survive future
Congresses.
- Resolutions are brought
forward in Congress that
would later become the
14th Amendment.
May, 1866
Tensions heighten between the President and
Congress due to race riots in Memphis, TN.
- Conflict between black
soldiers and white peace
officers leads to death of 46
men, women, and children;
4 black churches and 12
schools burned.
- Pushes public opinion
closer toward the Radical
Republican plan for
Reconstruction.
July, 1866
Race riots take place in New Orleans, LA.
- Riots are cited as
evidence that the
President’s
“Proclamation of
Amnesty and
Reconstruction”
was not working.
August, 1866
To save his plan (and his image) Johnson travels
across the country, delivers famous “Swing
Around the Circle” speeches
- Speeches viewed as
ineffective.
- Intended to garner
support for those in
Congress who
supported his plan
before the mid-term
elections.
- Johnson continues to label
the Radicals in Congress as
“dis-unionists.”
November,
1866
Radicals win many victories in the 1866 mid-term
elections – gain majorities of over two-thirds in
each branch of Congress.
Radicals believed
themselves to be in a good
position to demand that
Southern states accept
the proposed 14th
amendment.
March 2, 1867
The new Congress passes the first Reconstruction Act.
Johnson vetoes the act, but is quickly overridden by
the new Congress (remember, radicals have 2/3 majority in both sides).
- Divides the south into 5
military districts to enforce a
stricter Reconstruction
policy.
- Required states ratify the
14th Amendment before it
could be readmitted or have
its representatives seated in
Congress
- Firmly placed control of
Reconstruction into the
hands of Congress, not
the President.
March 2, 1867
Congress overrides Johnson’s veto of the Tenure of
Office Act.
- Required Senate
approval before the
President could dismiss
any government official
who was originally
approved by the Senate
(including members of
the cabinet)
- Done to protect Secretary
of War, Edwin Stanton,
since he was supporter of
Radical agenda
- Law eventually struck down
in 1926 as unconstitutional!
August 12, 1867
Johnson temporarily suspends Secretary of War Edwin
Stanton and replaces him with General Ulysses S.
Grant. Congress is out of session at the time.
- Oh, snap! Is this legal?
January, 1868
The Senate votes when they return and they do not
consent to removing Stanton.
- Johnson ignores Senate
vote and presents Stanton
with formal dismissal
- This was a flagrant violation
of the Tenure of Office Act,
and sufficient grounds for
impeachment.
February 24, 1868
Impeachment charges filed against Johnson by the
House of Representatives.
- 9 of 11 charges are on
violation of Tenure of
Office Act
- The remaining 2 charges
dealt with his libelous
speech against members
of Congress.
Libel: published false statements
that are damaging to one’s
character
March 30, 1868
The Senate begins the first ever impeachment trial of a
U.S. president.
- While a president who is
found guilty can remain
in office, most Americans
agreed that if found
guilty then he had to
leave.
May 16, 1868
The Senate fails to convict Johnson of the
impeachment by only one vote.
- Andrew Johnson was
acquitted of all charges
filed in the impeachment.
acquit: free someone from a
criminal charge by a verdict of not
guilty.
- A later Supreme Court (1926;
Myers vs. United States) ruling that
the Tenure of Office Act
was “invalid.”
- Johnson had the power to
dismiss Stanton all along!
- Vetoed virtually every act of
Congress through the
remainder of his term and
Congress continued to
override him
- Could not secure the
Democratic nomination for
President in 1868 (Horatio
Seymour got it!)
- Replaced by Ulysses S
Grant in 1868