Asked by jun

Does a congresspersons political party determine how they vote regarding impeachment and conviction for Andrew Johnson?

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Short answer: party was a strong predictor but not determinative. Most Republicans supported impeachment and conviction; most Democrats opposed them — but a significant group of Republicans broke with their party in the Senate trial and voted to acquit.

Key facts
- House of Representatives (Feb. 1868): The House impeached Andrew Johnson largely along party lines; Republicans pushed the articles of impeachment and most Republicans voted yes.
- Senate trial (May 1868): Conviction failed by one vote. The final tallies most often cited are 35 guilty, 19 not guilty on the decisive articles — two-thirds (36) were required to remove the president. Seven Republican senators voted to acquit, preventing the two‑thirds threshold. The seven Republican "not guilty" votes commonly named are: William P. Fessenden (ME), Joseph S. Fowler (TN), James W. Grimes (IA), John B. Henderson (MO), Lyman Trumbull (IL), Edmund G. Ross (KS), and Peter G. Van Winkle (WV). Ross’s vote is famous as the swing vote.

Why party wasn’t the only factor
- Legal/constitutional principles: Several Republican senators said they believed the Tenure of Office Act (which Johnson had violated by dismissing Secretary of War Edwin Stanton) was unconstitutional or that the case didn’t meet the high bar for removing a president.
- Separation-of-powers concerns: Some worried that removal for political disagreements would set a dangerous precedent.
- Personal/political calculations: Senators weighed re-election, public opinion in their states, and relationships with the White House or party leaders.
- Allegations of bribery and promises of patronage circulated afterward; later investigations found little conclusive proof that bribery determined the outcome, though charges remained politically contentious.

Bottom line: political party heavily influenced votes—Republicans led the push to impeach and convict and Democrats opposed—but individual judgment, legal philosophy, and political calculation led a number of Republicans to break with their party in the crucial Senate vote.