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Lesson

The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

Guiding question

Was the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson a political tool?

Duration
50 min
Grade
9–12
Published
Jun 30, 2021
Historic courtroom scene with a jury, judge, and attorneys during a trial, depicting an 18th-century legislative assembly.
When Andrew Johnson became President upon Lincoln’s assassination, he hoped to restore the Union according to a plan that would be lenient toward the South. Lacking congressional support and political skills, Johnson found himself in a show-down with Republicans in Congress who wanted to remake the South in the image of the North, raise up blacks and poor whites, and guarantee full civil and political rights for the freedmen. This clash of goals and strategies led to the first presidential impeachment trial in our history—a test of the constitutional principles of separation of powers and checks and balances. In the end, the Founders’ mechanism of three co-equal branches of government proved strong enough to resolve the crisis.

Founding Principles

Checks and Balances

Objectives:

Students will:

  • Understand the events that led to the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson.
  • Analyze the constitutional and political issues that arose during the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of the impeachment process as a way to preserve the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches.

Materials

  • Handout A: The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
  • Handout B: The Tenure of Office Act
  • Handout C: Senators’ Statements on the Trial of Andrew Johnson

Lesson Components

ActivityHandout A: The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
ActivityHandout B: The Tenure of Office Act Excerpts (The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson)
ActivityHandout C: Senators’ Statements on the Trial of Andrew Johnson
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Lesson plan

50 minClick a phase to open it

More Information

To create a context for this lesson, have students complete Constitutional Connection: Impeachment and the Constitution.

Standards

Check whether this resource aligns with your state’s standards →

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