Historians and pundits are comparing Andrew Johnson’s impeachment trial in 1868 with the ongoing impeachment inquiry targeting President Trump. Johnson, the first president to be impeached, escaped removal from office by a single vote in the Senate.
The president traveled the country, fanning racial animus. He viewed the Congress with disdain. He also tried to undo some of the most important achievements of his predecessor, using executive power.
Trump and Johnson came from opposite ends of America’s social spectrum — Johnson from deep poverty, Trump from great wealth. Yet they shared bellicose personalities, a disdain for political niceties, and a penchant for divisive, sometimes racist rhetoric. Tensions peaked in 1868 when the House voted to impeach Johnson after alleging he had illegally fired War Secretary Edwin Stanton. Johnson was narrowly acquitted in a trial in the Senate.
She said Johnson emerged from deeper poverty than any other U.S. president, even working as an indentured servant for a master who occasionally beat him. “I convinced a good portion of the room that Johnson was the worst president, though some were lobbying for Richard Nixon or Woodrow Wilson,” said Ross.
Among those intrigued by Trump-Johnson comparisons is author Brenda Wineapple. She has written several books about 19th century authors, but switched gears with her latest book, published in May — an account of Johnson’s impeachment trial called “The Impeachers.”
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