Articles of Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

Impact

As a result of the impeachment trial, the Founders and writers of the Constitution were once again praised for their invaluable insight. By restricting the vote to two-thirds of the Senate, the founders ensured that it would not be a simple task to remove a president. After Johnson's trial, the Republicans, particularly the Radical Republicans, had to regroup. Many worried that they had lost credibility with the American public, which would adversely affect the party. Others, of course, were adamant that the party would survive and would, in fact, grow stronger.

The long-term political impact of the impeachment was minimal. Johnson left office shortly after his trial, and the new president, Ulysses S. Grant, and the new Congress maintained amiable relations. All those involved in the impeachment were eager to put it behind them and focus on the pressing needs of the post-Civil War nation. As for Johnson, he was president for approximately nine more months after his acquittal. He returned to Tennessee, where he made an unsuccessful bid for the Senate in 1869. He tried again and won a Senate seat in 1874. He died not long thereafter, on July 31, 1875.

This was the first time an impeachment trial had been initiated against an American president. Because the grounds for trial were so clearly the result of policy disputes rather than actual misconduct, the impeachment effort failed. However, it did influence attitudes and behavior on presidential impeachment; no president was again tried until Bill Clinton in 1999.