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Dig Deep: The Impeachment of President Andrew Johnson

Today we continued the conversation with Aaron Brown and Chuck Marohn on the history of impeachment.  This time they set the stage for us on the impeachement of President Andrew Johnson who became president with the assassination of President Lincoln in 1868.  Chuck and Aaron take a look at the reconstruction period and the 11 articles of impeachment of President Johnson which were:

  1. Dismissing Edwin Stanton from office after the Senate had voted not to concur with his dismissal and had ordered him reinstated.
  2. Appointing Thomas Secretary of War ad interim despite the lack of vacancy in the office, since the dismissal of Stanton had been invalid.
  3. Appointing Thomas without the required advice and consent of the Senate.
  4. Conspiring, with Thomas and "other persons to the House of Representatives unknown", to unlawfully prevent Stanton from continuing in office.
  5. Conspiring to unlawfully curtail faithful execution of the Tenure of Office Act.
  6. Conspiring to "seize, take, and possess the property of the United States in the Department of War".
  7. Conspiring to "seize, take, and possess the property of the United States in the Department of War" with specific intent to violate the Tenure of Office Act.
  8. Issuing to Thomas the authority of the office of Secretary of War with unlawful intent to "control the disbursements of the moneys appropriated for the military service and for the Department of War".
  9. Issuing to Major General William H. Emory orders with unlawful intent to violate federal law requiring all military orders to be issued through the General of the Army.
  10. Making three speeches with intent to "attempt to bring into disgrace, ridicule, hatred, contempt and reproach, the Congress of the United States".
  11. Bringing disgrace and ridicule to the presidency by his aforementioned words and actions.

Join us for a Dig Deep/Strong Towns community conversation at the Reif Center on Tuesday December 10th at 7pm.  We'll talk about the Strong Towns movement, Chuck's new book and what makes our towns strong or not-strong. 

Heidi Holtan is KAXE's Director of Content and Public Affairs where she manages producers and is the local host of Morning Edition from NPR. Heidi is a regional correspondent for WDSE/WRPT's Duluth Public Television’s Almanac North.