Reconstruction and the impeachment of Johnson, Kelvin Rojas

21. Johnson’s impeachment and Reconstruction

Ok here is the knitty gritty:

Andrew Johnson (does anyone else see the significance of the initials AJ?)

Johnson comes to power after Lincoln, He lacks the martyred President’s wisdom, leadership, and prestige. (He is a Tennessee Democrat)

Johnson held the same idea that Lincoln had about reconstruction (it is an executive measure).

Congress is replete with radical republicans who opposed this view along with the “black codes.”

Laws designed to keep the negroes in subjection, which most of the Southern states enacted after the adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment.

They felt that the leaders of the confederacy should be punished for their part in rebellion.

Republicans were anxious to keep majority in congress and believe that this could be accomplished by securing the ballot for the negro.

Johnson’s veto is over ridden and congress passes the following measures in congress (1866-1867)

1. The Freed men’s Bureau Act – organization created to advance the general welfare of the negro (remind me of the NAACP…)
2. The Civil Rights Bill – made to protect the negro from being deprived of his civil rights
3. The Reconstruction Act – Made acceptance of fourteenth Amendment that basis for readmission into the union.

All these things cause a “…violent and undignified quarrel” between the legislative and executive branch.

That tension culminates at the passing of the Tenure of Office Act (1867).

This was a partisan measure. It meant that the president was prohibited from removing any official of the government without the senate’s consent. (This was like a meat check from the mostly Republican party in congress versus the democrat president)

When god forbid the Presidents wants to fire someone…

Johnson removes his Secretary of War, Stanton, who was obstructing him at every turn.

The House of Representatives impeached him. The charges were very shakey and the Senate only acquitted Johnson by one vote less than the 2/3 necessary.

Occurring about the same time…

CONGRESSIONAL RECONSTRUCTION OF THE SOUTH

Congress asked the southern states to ratify the 14^th admen.

This includes:

1. defined citizenship; no state can deprive a citizen of is privileges.
2. Provided that any state which barred a citizen of voting would have its representation cut .
3. Barred leaders of the Confederacy from state and federal offices until pardoned by congress.
4. Forbade U.S. or any state to pay any debt in aid of the Confederate cause or to grant compensation for the emancipation of slaves.

No one did this except Tennessee.

So… Congress decided to forget about the southern governments that Lincoln and Johnson recognized.

This new act was called “THE ReconSTRUction Act of 1867”

This included:

1. Organization of the seceded states (except Tennessee) in five military Districts, each governed by a federal general.
2. The election of constitutional conventions, negroes as well as whites being elegible to vote for delegates, but Confederate leaders were barred.
3. The framing of new state constitutions extending the suffrage to nefroes as well as to white.
4. The submission of the new state constitutions to Congress for its approval
5. The admission of the new governments to representation in congress as soon as they ratified the Fourteenth Amendment.

That’s reconstruction and the impeachment of Johnson.

hopefully i did the right one, im not sure if i had number 21 or the number 5 about the gold rush.

The Essay Question...

this is one question

Think about measures that Congress wished to adopt in the South that were opposed by President Johnson?

To what extent are these measures partisan moves? Examine the partisan issue and compare it to similar partisan struggles in congress before 1861.

:-D Enjoy guys