A Nation Divided, c1845–1877 – Early Reconstruction, 1865–1867 (A-level…

The idea

Andrew Johnson’s presidency was defined by his stubborn, uncompromising personality and his aim to rapidly restore the Union without securing rights for freedmen. A staunch states' rights advocate and white supremacist, his lenient Presidential Reconstruction policies directly provoked severe conflicts with Congress. This culminated in a permanent break with the moderate and Radical Republicans after he vetoed the Freedmen's Bureau Bill and the Civil Rights Act of 1866. The escalating constitutional crisis led to his impeachment in 1868 for violating the Tenure of Office Act by dismissing Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, though he survived conviction in the Senate by a single vote.

What earns the marks

• Analyse how Johnson's inflexible personality and Southern Democratic roots shaped his lenient aims for Presidential Reconstruction.
• Evaluate the causes of his conflicts with Congress, focusing on his vetoes of key civil rights legislation.
• Explain the definitive break with the Republican party, uniting moderates and radicals against his executive overreach.
• Assess the impeachment process, including the pretext of the Tenure of Office Act and the political motivations behind the trial.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Claiming Johnson was removed from office.

  Put it right: He was impeached by the House of Representatives but acquitted by the Senate by one vote.

• Assuming Johnson shared Lincoln's vision for Reconstruction.

  Put it right: Johnson was far more lenient towards former Confederates and actively opposed black suffrage.

• Viewing the impeachment solely as a legal dispute over the Tenure of Office Act.

  Put it right: It was fundamentally a political battle over the control of Reconstruction policy.

Exam tips

• Contrast Johnson's aims with those of the Radical Republicans to highlight the ideological chasm regarding the status of freedmen.
• Use Johnson's vetoes of the Civil Rights Act and Freedmen's Bureau Bill as concrete evidence of his break with the Republican party.
• Discuss the long-term significance of Johnson's acquittal on the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches.