From the moment President Lincoln was assassinated, the stage was set for a confrontation between Congress and the new President, a Southerner from Tennessee. Johnson had been the sole Southern senator to remain loyal to the Union. Lincoln had selected him as his Vice Presidential candidate as an act of reconciliation, with Union victory all but certain in 1864. He sought to demonstrate his intention to swiftly reintegrate the South into American society. His policy stipulated that Southern states could only renounce slavery to reenter the Union. Johnson continued Lincoln’s policies but lacked the authority that Lincoln possessed. The Republicans in Congress advocated for a more stringent stance towards the Southern states, asserting that Congress, not the President, should be accountable for the policy pertaining to the Southern States. This conflict persisted.

In 1867, Congress enacted the “Tenure Act,” which prohibited the President from removing certain public officials without the consent of Congress. In the early months of February, President Johnson removed Secretary of War Stanton from office. Johnson believed that Stanton, a radical Republican, was undermining the President’s policies.

In response to Johnson’s actions, on February 24th, the House voted 126-47 to impeach President Johnson for “high crimes and misdemeanors.” The Senate granted Johnson only 10 days to prepare his defense.

On May 16th, the first article of impeachment was put to a vote. The Senate vote was 35-19, falling short of the two-thirds required for a conviction.

Seven Republican senators joined the Democrats in voting for Johnson’s acquittal.