Andrew Johnson: Impeached
2023-06-25
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1Today we are talking about Andrew Johnson. Johnson was vice president under Abraham Lincoln, and became president in 1865 after Lincoln was killed.
2His name sounds like that of an earlier president, Andrew Jackson, and also like a later president, Lyndon Johnson.
3But Andrew Johnson served in the years just after the Civil War.
4You can remember Johnson this way: He was the first U.S. president to be impeached.
5Andrew Johnson grew up in a poor family in the southern state of North Carolina.
6As a child, Johnson had little formal education.
7Instead, he trained to be a tailor.
8When he was a young man, Johnson moved to Tennessee, another southern state.
9He opened a tailoring business, where he made, repaired and sold clothing.
10When he was 18 years old, he married. His wife, Eliza McCardle, was only 16.
11They went on to have five children together.
12Eliza McCardle Johnson did not come from a wealthy family, either.
13But she was better educated than her husband, and she helped him develop his reading and writing skills.
14She also supported his gift for public speaking. Johnson's speeches were especially popular with workers in their community.
15They liked his criticism of the state's wealthy planters.
16The workers also liked his politics.
17At the time, Johnson supported measures that permitted slavery to expand across the country.
18He was clear in his speeches that he did not support equality between whites and African-Americans, whether enslaved or free.
19In time, Johnson held many political offices: mayor, Tennessee's governor, state legislator, and member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
20When the Civil War began, he was a member of the U.S. Senate.
21Although he was a Southerner, he did not believe the Southern states had a right to withdraw from the Union.
22When the other Southern senators resigned from the U.S. Congress, Johnson stayed.
23As a result, most Southerners considered him a traitor.
24But most Northerners considered him a hero.
25By 1864, the American Civil War was three years old.
26The conflict was becoming increasingly fierce and bloody.
27That year, the states that remained in the Union held their presidential election.
28The president, Abraham Lincoln, wanted to win re-election and continue directing the Union's war effort.
29But he was not sure that voters in the opposition Democratic Party would support him.
30So he turned to Andrew Johnson to be his choice for vice president.
31Johnson was a pro-slavery Democrat.
32Lincoln was an anti-slavery Republican.
33In the U.S. tradition, presidential candidates do not usually choose someone from a different party to serve as vice president.
34But in this case, Lincoln's Republicans did.
35They called the Lincoln-Johnson partnership the National Union Party.
36Political leaders hoped Johnson would appeal to Democrats who supported the war effort, to workers and to small farmers.
37The plan - along with several military successes for the Union - helped carry the National Union Party to victory.
38The swearing-in ceremony the following March, however, suggested some of the difficulties ahead.
39Johnson was sick.
40To feel better, he had a lot of alcoholic drinks the night before the ceremony.
41The next morning, he drank some more.
42When Johnson stood to give his speech, he appeared unsteady.
43He talked about his poor family and his simple beginnings.
44Then he spoke angrily about wealthy Southern planters who had withdrawn from the Union.
45He became increasingly confused.
46Other people in the crowd wrote later that they felt embarrassed by Johnson's behavior.
47And some Republicans began calling already for his resignation - or even impeachment.
48Those critics could not have predicted that in a few weeks, Johnson would be the president.
49A few very important events happened in the weeks after Lincoln and Johnson were sworn-in.
50In April, Lincoln was shot and killed. Johnson took office as the new president.
51The following month, the Civil War officially ended. The Confederate States of America was no more.
52And that December, a majority of states approved the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
53That amendment ended slavery across the country.
54President Johnson, therefore, guided the process of re-uniting the North and South, and supervised the transition of many African-Americans from slavery to freedom.
55That period in U.S. history is called Reconstruction.
56Members of Congress from the Northern states had been thinking for a long time about how to carry out Reconstruction.
57The most extreme lawmakers, the Radical Republicans, wanted to punish former Confederate officials and extend political and civil rights to African-Americans.
58Johnson had different ideas. In the first months of his presidency, before Congress had met, Johnson pardoned many former Confederate officials.
59He also let Southerners rebuild their state governments as they wished.
60Those governments quickly passed laws called Black Codes.
61Black Codes restricted the freedom and rights of African-Americans.
62They permitted white land owners to control African-Americans' labor, much as they had when the workers were slaves.
63The laws were enforced by all-white police and militia.
64Radical Republicans in Congress - as well as African-Americans - objected strongly to the Black Codes.
65When Congress finally did meet, Republican lawmakers voted for a measure to help and protect formerly enslaved people.
66But Johnson vetoed the measure. He said the bill would give the federal government too much power.
67Johnson's veto was one move in a political war between the president and many Republicans.
68In time, lawmakers got the upper hand.
69The Republican Congress soon took control of Reconstruction.
70Against Johnson's wishes, they succeeded in passing several major pieces of legislation.
71One was the Civil Rights Act of 1866.
72It recognized that everyone born in the United States - including African-Americans, although not Native Americans - was a citizen.
73Another was the extension of the Freedman's Bureau Act, the measure that Johnson had earlier vetoed.
74For two more years, the federal government was authorized to help people displaced by the Civil War.
75Finally, lawmakers passed a measure barring the president from dismissing any top officials without the approval of Congress.
76President Johnson ignored the measure. When he believed the secretary of war did not treat him respectfully, the president ordered that man's dismissal.
77In answer, members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach Johnson.
78In other words, they charged him with a crime.
79It was the first time in U.S. history that a president has been impeached.
80But "impeached" does not always mean removed from office.
81The case moves to the Senate.
82There, senators act as a jury. They decide whether the president is guilty.
83Two-thirds of the Senate must agree to convict the president.
84In the case of Andrew Johnson, 54 senators considered his case.
85For him to be removed from office, 36 would need to find him guilty.
86But only 35 did. His position was saved by a single vote.
87Although Johnson survived impeachment, he was not nominated as a candidate for president in the next election.
88Instead, he returned to his home in Tennessee, then competed for a seat back in Congress.
89On the third try, he succeeded. Johnson is the first and only - so far - former president to serve as a senator.
90He did not stay in the position long, however.
91A few months after returning to Congress, Johnson died suddenly after suffering a stroke.
92He was 66 years old.
93Today historians have mixed feelings about his presidency.
94Johnson's supporters approve of his limits on the federal government and belief in a firm separation of powers among Congress, the president and Supreme Court.
95But most historians believe Johnson's Reconstruction policies were extremely damaging.
96They did not help re-unite the North and South.
97And they extended the suffering of African-Americans and the country's history of racial oppression.
98I'm Kelly Jean Kelly.
1Today we are talking about Andrew Johnson. Johnson was vice president under Abraham Lincoln, and became president in 1865 after Lincoln was killed. 2His name sounds like that of an earlier president, Andrew Jackson, and also like a later president, Lyndon Johnson. 3But Andrew Johnson served in the years just after the Civil War. You can remember Johnson this way: He was the first U.S. president to be impeached. 4Early life 5Andrew Johnson grew up in a poor family in the southern state of North Carolina. 6As a child, Johnson had little formal education. Instead, he trained to be a tailor. 7When he was a young man, Johnson moved to Tennessee, another southern state. He opened a tailoring business, where he made, repaired and sold clothing. 8When he was 18 years old, he married. His wife, Eliza McCardle, was only 16. They went on to have five children together. 9Eliza McCardle Johnson did not come from a wealthy family, either. But she was better educated than her husband, and she helped him develop his reading and writing skills. 10She also supported his gift for public speaking. Johnson's speeches were especially popular with workers in their community. They liked his criticism of the state's wealthy planters. 11The workers also liked his politics. At the time, Johnson supported measures that permitted slavery to expand across the country. He was clear in his speeches that he did not support equality between whites and African-Americans, whether enslaved or free. 12In time, Johnson held many political offices: mayor, Tennessee's governor, state legislator, and member of the U.S. House of Representatives. When the Civil War began, he was a member of the U.S. Senate. 13Although he was a Southerner, he did not believe the Southern states had a right to withdraw from the Union. When the other Southern senators resigned from the U.S. Congress, Johnson stayed. 14As a result, most Southerners considered him a traitor. But most Northerners considered him a hero. 15Election of 1864 16By 1864, the American Civil War was three years old. The conflict was becoming increasingly fierce and bloody. That year, the states that remained in the Union held their presidential election. 17The president, Abraham Lincoln, wanted to win re-election and continue directing the Union's war effort. But he was not sure that voters in the opposition Democratic Party would support him. 18So he turned to Andrew Johnson to be his choice for vice president. 19Johnson was a pro-slavery Democrat. Lincoln was an anti-slavery Republican. In the U.S. tradition, presidential candidates do not usually choose someone from a different party to serve as vice president. 20But in this case, Lincoln's Republicans did. They called the Lincoln-Johnson partnership the National Union Party. 21Political leaders hoped Johnson would appeal to Democrats who supported the war effort, to workers and to small farmers. The plan - along with several military successes for the Union - helped carry the National Union Party to victory. 22The swearing-in ceremony the following March, however, suggested some of the difficulties ahead. Johnson was sick. To feel better, he had a lot of alcoholic drinks the night before the ceremony. The next morning, he drank some more. 23When Johnson stood to give his speech, he appeared unsteady. He talked about his poor family and his simple beginnings. Then he spoke angrily about wealthy Southern planters who had withdrawn from the Union. He became increasingly confused. 24Other people in the crowd wrote later that they felt embarrassed by Johnson's behavior. And some Republicans began calling already for his resignation - or even impeachment. 25Those critics could not have predicted that in a few weeks, Johnson would be the president. 26Presidency 27A few very important events happened in the weeks after Lincoln and Johnson were sworn-in. 28In April, Lincoln was shot and killed. Johnson took office as the new president. 29The following month, the Civil War officially ended. The Confederate States of America was no more. 30And that December, a majority of states approved the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. That amendment ended slavery across the country. 31President Johnson, therefore, guided the process of re-uniting the North and South, and supervised the transition of many African-Americans from slavery to freedom. That period in U.S. history is called Reconstruction. 32Members of Congress from the Northern states had been thinking for a long time about how to carry out Reconstruction. The most extreme lawmakers, the Radical Republicans, wanted to punish former Confederate officials and extend political and civil rights to African-Americans. 33Johnson had different ideas. In the first months of his presidency, before Congress had met, Johnson pardoned many former Confederate officials. 34He also let Southerners rebuild their state governments as they wished. Those governments quickly passed laws called Black Codes. 35Black Codes restricted the freedom and rights of African-Americans. They permitted white land owners to control African-Americans' labor, much as they had when the workers were slaves. The laws were enforced by all-white police and militia. 36Radical Republicans in Congress - as well as African-Americans - objected strongly to the Black Codes. When Congress finally did meet, Republican lawmakers voted for a measure to help and protect formerly enslaved people. 37But Johnson vetoed the measure. He said the bill would give the federal government too much power. 38Johnson's veto was one move in a political war between the president and many Republicans. 39In time, lawmakers got the upper hand. The Republican Congress soon took control of Reconstruction. Against Johnson's wishes, they succeeded in passing several major pieces of legislation. 40One was the Civil Rights Act of 1866. It recognized that everyone born in the United States - including African-Americans, although not Native Americans - was a citizen. 41Another was the extension of the Freedman's Bureau Act, the measure that Johnson had earlier vetoed. For two more years, the federal government was authorized to help people displaced by the Civil War. 42Finally, lawmakers passed a measure barring the president from dismissing any top officials without the approval of Congress. 43President Johnson ignored the measure. When he believed the secretary of war did not treat him respectfully, the president ordered that man's dismissal. 44In answer, members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach Johnson. In other words, they charged him with a crime. It was the first time in U.S. history that a president has been impeached. 45But "impeached" does not always mean removed from office. The case moves to the Senate. There, senators act as a jury. They decide whether the president is guilty. Two-thirds of the Senate must agree to convict the president. 46In the case of Andrew Johnson, 54 senators considered his case. For him to be removed from office, 36 would need to find him guilty. But only 35 did. His position was saved by a single vote. 47Legacy 48Although Johnson survived impeachment, he was not nominated as a candidate for president in the next election. Instead, he returned to his home in Tennessee, then competed for a seat back in Congress. 49On the third try, he succeeded. Johnson is the first and only - so far - former president to serve as a senator. 50He did not stay in the position long, however. A few months after returning to Congress, Johnson died suddenly after suffering a stroke. He was 66 years old. 51Today historians have mixed feelings about his presidency. Johnson's supporters approve of his limits on the federal government and belief in a firm separation of powers among Congress, the president and Supreme Court. 52But most historians believe Johnson's Reconstruction policies were extremely damaging. They did not help re-unite the North and South. And they extended the suffering of African-Americans and the country's history of racial oppression. 53I'm Kelly Jean Kelly. 54Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. 55Editor's note: The original story mistakenly said that 20 senators had to find Johnson guilty for him to be removed from office, but only 19 did. In fact, a majority at that time would have been 36 senators. Only 35 found Johnson guilty.] 56See how well you understand the story by taking this listening quiz. Play each short video, then choose the best answer. 57__________________________________________________________________ 58Words in This Story 59impeached - adj. charged a public official with a crime while in office 60formal - adj. received in a school 61tailor - n. a person who makes clothes 62ticket - n. a list of the candidates supported by a political party in an election 63unsteady - adj. not standing or moving in a steady and balanced way 64embarrassed - adj. made uncomfortable by foolish behavior 65transition - n. a change from one state or condition to another 66convict - v. to prove that someone is guilty of a crime in a court of law 67stroke - n. a serious illness caused when a blood vessel in your brain suddenly breaks or is blocked