What happened in Andrew Johnson's impeachment trial?

• A. He was impeached by the House and removed by the Senate.
• B. He was never impeached.
• C. He resigned before trial.
• D. He was impeached by the House in 1868 and acquitted by the Senate by one vote.

Answer: (D)

Impeachment in this period shows how two chambers balance power: the House can indict a president, and the Senate must convict by a two-thirds majority to remove him. In 1868, Andrew Johnson faced impeachment after clashes with Radical Republicans over Reconstruction and his effort to replace the Secretary of War, which linked to the Tenure of Office Act. The House voted to impeach him, but when the Senate tried the case, the votes fell one short of conviction. That narrow margin meant he was acquitted and remained in office. So, the event is that he was impeached by the House in 1868 and acquitted by the Senate by one vote. He was not removed or resigned.