Andrew Johnson Was The First U.S. President to e Impeached

Less than three years into his administration, Johnson was facing harsh criticism for his Southern views on reconstruction and persons who had formerly been in slavery. Under his administration, southern states started passing "Black Codes" that restricted the rights of Black Americans, infuriating the Senate Republicans in control. Johnson also removed Radical Republican friend and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton in defiance of the Tenure of Office Act of 1867, which was designed to restrict the president's authority to terminate officials without Senate consent.

The House of Representatives voted to impeach Johnson on February 24, 1868, by a margin of 126 to 47, viewing it as a willful act of disobedience. Johnson patiently retracted from most of the stances that had angered his political adversaries during the 11-week Senate trial. Votes were cast on May 16 and May 26, and he was given the green light to serve out the remainder of his term.