I.

Introduction

Andrew Johnson (1808-1875), 17th president of the United States (1865-1869). Johnson was the first U.S. president to be impeached (see Impeachment). The House of Representatives charged him with misbehavior in office, and he escaped conviction in his Senate trial by only one vote. Johnson became president at a critical time in American history. He succeeded Abraham Lincoln when Lincoln was assassinated in April 1865, only a few days after the Civil War ended. In addition to these trying circumstances, Johnson also had trouble cooperating with other political leaders while proceeding to accomplish his aims.

Johnson’s impeachment was the result of a struggle to preserve the powers of the presidency in the face of attacks by a determined Congress of the United States. Even though Johnson contributed materially to his own difficulties, he must be respected for his staunch defense of the rights reserved to the president by the Constitution of the United States.