Articles of Impeachment of Andrew Johnson (1868) Commentary by Kristina E. Curry, Georgia State University

Agreed upon by the U.S. House of Representatives in February 1868, the eleven Articles of Impeachment of Andrew Johnson asserted that the president had disobeyed the Tenure of Office Act and, because of this and related crimes and misdemeanors, was therefore subject to impeachment. After the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in April 1865, Vice President Andrew Johnson assumed the U.S. presidency. As Johnson was implementing his plans for Reconstruction after the Civil War, he encountered opposition from Republicans in Congress who did not agree with his lenient position toward southern radicals. As time passed, Johnson and Congress clashed on various acts related to Reconstruction. Johnson vetoed many bills and had many vetoes overridden by a hostile Congress. His most controversial action, however, was the removal of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, prompting the movement to impeach him.

The first eight Articles of Impeachment deal with Johnson's dismissal of...