The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson Essay

After the conclusion of America’s Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln pitched the idea of “Reconstruction,” which would bring the southern states back into the Union. President Lincoln, according to many radical Republicans, was too gentle on the south. The government was divided on how to solve the issue of readmitting the southern states back into the Union. In addition to that, the government was not certain on what rights to enumerate to the newly emancipated slaves. These issues became more difficult to solve after President Lincoln was murdered. Lincoln’s successor, Vice President Andrew Johnson, was a Tennessee Democrat that lacked respect of the Republican Congress. The legislative and executive branches of the American government

The Radical Republicans, and the rest of Congress, were the ones who passed most of the bills for Reconstruction, because of their ability to override the president with their majority. They expanded the Freedmen's Bureau, which did show some progress in the helping of former slaves and poor white men. The Freedmen’s Bureau set up hospitals, schools, and also gave out supplies. This achieved the enablement of former slaves having the right to free education. Later on, however, the Freedmen’s Bureau became neglected, and was often forgotten or overlooked. The Freedmen’s Bureau is accurately described in this following statement, “This auspicious beginning belied the great disappointments that lay ahead,” (CITE TEXTBOOK).

The Radical Republicans found Lincoln’s approach far too lenient, and strongly expressed their opposition. They zealously sought to punish the South for initiating the Civil War. The Radical Republicans criticized the President’s Ten Percent Plan, and were resolute in readmitting southern states only after slavery had been abolished, the newly freed black slaves (freedmen) were given full rights, and the power of the planter class destroyed.

In response to Radical Reconstruction, whites resorted to violence. White supremacist organizations targeted Republicans and African Americans. White supremacy spread through the south as Reconstruction died out.

The amendment prevented voting restrictions due to race. Hiram Revels, a black senator, became the first out of sixteen blacks to be elected to Congress. This portion of Reconstruction succeeded for the most part, but something had to be done to stop the South from disobeying the laws.

After the tragedy of Lincoln's death, Vice President Andrew Johnson stepped up into the presidential position and started his own plans for reconstruction; his too, would turn out to be a failure. He supported hardcore Democratic principles and restoring Southern power. He brought in the remaining states back into the constitution. He divided the power of planters and restricted there voting He created the idea of "blanket pardons" which allowed Southern states that had abolished slavery and repealed their articles of secession to re-assume their powers of government and elect representatives to the Congress. This all backfired because while the south was happy and the Blacks weren't voting under Johnson, the Radical Republicans were angered and more conflict was started. The whole idea of everyone being happy wasn't working at all with anyone. Johnson was the second to go, being the first impeached president ever.

The government of the United States controls countless affairs in the world. They control everything from the currency to the court systems. Individuals are suppose to be able to trusting your government system, which has not been the case in many different circumstances. From Richard Nixon to the Whitewater scandal, the government has been everything but honest.

Congress passes the Tenure of the Office Act, which stripped the President of the power to remove federal officials without the Senate’s approval, and in 1867, established a military Reconstruction program to enforce political and social rights for southern blacks.

Declaring martial law within five military districts the south was split into; each governed by a union general. Congress then had southern states redraft their constitutions and ratify the 14th Amendment to provide suffrage for the freed male slaves. Congress noticed those people needed additional protection for their voting rights. Congress in response passed the "Second Reconstruction Act"; which places Union troops in charge of voter registrations. This helped prevent some southern inference. During this time also passed the "Tenure of Office Act" to add to other restrictions made by them for the president. This Act was designed to make the president require congressional consent to remove and appoint cabinets members. President Johnson didn't feel the need to adhere to this; when he felt undermined by his Secretary of War Edwin Stanton so he removed him fro office. His actions was basically the final straw by late 1887 congress had enough of Johnson. They started a impeachment case against him for multiple charges though In the end the impeachment failed due to the Radical Republicans realizing doing this would set a dangerous precedent. But this led Johnson to be a non factor for the remainder of his presidential term. Congress proceeded to easily work Ulysses S. Grant into office, allowing them to continue their version of reconstruction. Which while they

his wife Johnson improved his reading and learned writing and arithmetic. In 1829 Johnson ram

The Civil War brought an end to slavery. Reconstruction came with the hope of transforming the nation. For the Republicans, they had a vision that was building the nation. For example, they used preventive ways to create a new economic policy. Their second part was to reshape the former Confederacy and to explore the events in the West. Despite President Andrew Jackson’s political madness, Republicans believed in the vision and wanted to succeed with their reconstruction plans. Tariffs, the national banking system, and railroads went a long way to the growth of the nation.

The Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution was ratified on February 3, 1870, and granted African-American (Black) men the right to vote by declaring the "right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." (U. S. Const. amend. XV).

In 1867, congress overturned president Jackson’s vetoed bills and formed three significant laws known as Congressional reconstruction: the Command of the Army Act, the Military Reconstruction Act, and the Tenure of Office Act. The Military Reconstruction Act used federal troops to reorganize governments in the south and to enforce civil rights for blacks. It also abolished all new governments within the rebel states under president Jackson’s reconstruction policies. Congress regained military control of ten out of the eleven previous rebel states. The Military Reconstruction Act ordered each state to create a new constitution that guaranteed the right for all men to vote; no matter of race, social status or if they owned property.

They also called for any officials to swear an oath of allegiance to the union.2 After Lincoln's assassination, and Johnson's inaugeration these plans changed. Johnson pardoned all the southern leaders that were in trouble for seceding from the union. This effectively put them back in power in the South. Ultimately everything that congress and Lincoln had tried to do in the south. Taking back the power from those who seceded. As well as any help that was given to the poor whites or any blacks in the south was undone by Johnson.

​Many people were weary that the southerners would try to succeed from the Union again. These people were called Radical Republicans, which wanted to convert the South’s government to Republican in order to make sure that this would not happen. Radical Republicans also wanted to empower colored people, while putting the cause of the Civil War onto previous slave owners of the south. Radical Republicans wanted to see that these previous slave owners were punished for their