Feb. 24, 1868 House of Representatives Votes to Impeach Andrew Johnson Reconstruction150

Pat Young

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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thad stevens impeach.JPG

Thad Stevens gave the last speech in the House ending the debate on the Articles of Impeachment for President Johnson on March 2, 1868.

On February 24, 1868 the House of Representatives voted 126 to 47 in favor of impeaching President Andrew Johnson with 17 abstentions. Johnson had antagonized nearly the entire Republican caucus in Congress over the previous two years. Over the next week and a half, the House would debate the Articles of Impeachment.

On February 21, the president had removed Secretary of War Edwin Stanton from office and replaced him with Lorenzo Thomas in violation of the Tenure of Office Act requiring Senate consent in removal of cabinet officers. This was the final act precipitating impeachment.

This thread is intended for a free discussion of events leading up to the House approving the articles of impeachment, as well as the articles themselves. Please reserve discussion of the Senate trial for another thread. I will post some primary source materials and images, and I welcome your contributions.
 
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