Johnson Impeached: First President Faces Senate Trial
The House of Representatives voted 126 to 47 on February 24, 1868, to impeach President Andrew Johnson on eleven articles, primarily for violating the Tenure of Office Act by removing Secretary of War Edwin Stanton without Senate approval. Johnson, a Tennessee Democrat who became president after Lincoln's assassination, had clashed bitterly with the Republican Congress over Reconstruction policy. He vetoed civil rights legislation, opposed the Fourteenth Amendment, and tried to restore former Confederate leaders to power. The Senate trial lasted three months. Johnson survived removal by a single vote: 35 to 19, one short of the required two-thirds majority. Seven Republican senators broke ranks, believing that conviction would set a dangerous precedent of removing presidents for policy disagreements rather than criminal conduct. Johnson served out his term in political isolation, returned to the Senate in 1875, and died five months later.
February 24, 1868
158 years ago
Key Figures & Places
President of the United States
Wikipedia
United States House of Representatives
Wikipedia
United States Senate
Wikipedia
impeachment
Wikipedia
Andrew Johnson
Wikipedia
impeached
Wikipedia
Andrew Johnson
Wikipedia
President
Wikipedia
Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
Wikipedia
United States House of Representatives
Wikipedia
United States Senate
Wikipedia
Impeachment
Wikipedia
What Else Happened on February 24
The Drury Lane Theatre collapsed into ash on February 24, 1809, consuming Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s fortune and his life’s work in a single night. Watching th…
King Huneric didn't just persecute bishops — he went after the money men too. In 484, the Vandal ruler expelled Christian bishops across North Africa and shippe…
King Huneric of the Vandals purged his North African kingdom of Nicene bishops, forcibly replacing them with Arian clergy and exiling dissenters to Corsica. Thi…
The English brought 30,000 men to Roslin. The Scots had 8,000. But the English arrived in three separate columns, hours apart. The Scots attacked each one befor…
Charles had been king for 61 days. He'd claimed Hungary's throne after the previous king died without a male heir, but Hungary's nobles never wanted him. They w…
King Charles III of Naples and Hungary succumbed to his wounds in Buda after a group of Hungarian nobles ambushed him with a poisoned blade. His sudden death pl…
Talk to History
Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.