The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
IB History of the Americas
Mr. Clarke
Overview: When Andrew Johnson ascended to
the presidency after Lincoln’s assassination in
1865, he enjoyed little support from any quarter.
Lincoln took on Johnson, a Republican from
Tennessee, in order to balance his ticket in the
election of 1864. While Lincoln, no doubt, hoped
such a measure might appease the South, in
reality, Johnson was detested as much by most
southerners as by the “Radical Republicans” of
the North. Confederates saw him as a traitor for
continuing to occupy his Senate seat, even after
the state he represented had seceded from the
union. Johnson ran into trouble with more radical
members of his own party when he introduced a
plan for reconstruction, which mimicked Lincoln’s
relatively moderate “Ten Percent Plan.” From the
outset, Johnson seemed to be on a collision
course with Congress. While Radical
Republicans had attempted, unsuccessfully, to
impose their own will on the South, Lincoln’s pocket veto of the Wade-Davis bill ensured
that, for the time being, Reconstruction would be controlled by the President. However
Johnson lacked same the political skill and popularity that Lincoln commanded from late
1864 to his death. Congress, frustrated with Johnson’s opposition, began to look for
ways to blunt his political power. They soon found one when Johnson broke the
arguably unconstitutional Tenure of Office Act by firing his Secretary of War, Edwin M.
Stanton. The House of Representatives used this action as grounds for impeachment
and the Senate came one vote shy of removing him from office. Despite this failure,
impeachment transformed Johnson into a lame duck with little political power.
Our class will conduct a mock impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson. In this trial,
we will attempt to ascertain whether or not Johnson was the defenseless victim of
partisan politics, or whether Congress’s impeachment was justified by Johnson’s
policies as President.
Format of the Trial: The trial will take the following format...
• Opening Statements
o Prosecution (1-2 minutes)
o Defense (1-2 minutes)
• Prosecution’s Case
o Witnesses & Cross-Examinations (10-12 minutes)
• Defense’s Case
o Witnesses & Cross-Examinations (10-12 minutes)
• Closing Statements
o Prosecution (1-2 minutes)
o Defense (1-2 minutes)
Tasks
‰ Johnson:
o Prepare a set of note cards containing facts, statistics, quotes, etc.
which might be used in your testimony.
o Work with your defense team to coordinate your defense.
‰ Prosecution Team:
o Draft a written opening statement.
o Gather evidence and create an evidence list.
o Recruit witnesses (jurors will double as witnesses)
o Make a note card listing items, which you plan to incorporate into
your closing statement.
‰ Defense Team:
o Draft a written opening statement.
o Gather evidence and create an evidence list.
o Recruit witnesses (jurors will double as witnesses)
o Make a note card listing items, which you plan to incorporate into
your closing statement.
‰ Witnesses:
o Work with either the defense team or prosecution team to coordinate
your testimony.
o Research your identity and be prepared for cross-examination. You
may take notes to the stand with you.
Assignments and Due Dates:
™ Johnson: Hand in note cards by _____________.
™ Prosecution: Hand in Evidence List, Witness List, Opening Statement, and
Notes for a Closing Statement by ______________.
™ Defense: Hand in Evidence List, Witness List, Opening Statement, and
Notes for a Closing Statement by ______________.