What act gave Andrew Johnson violate which resulted in his impeachment?

Answer 1

The law that Andrew Johnson was accused of violating was the Tenure of Office Act. The act restricted the president from firing a member of his office and he broke that when he relieved his Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton.

Answer 2

The main reason for Johnson's impeachment was his violation of the 1867 Tenure of Office Act, which he had unsuccessfully attempted to veto.

The Tenure of Office Act prohibited the President from firing any official who had been placed in office with the "advice and consent" of the Senate unless the Senate also approved the removal.

President Johnson wanted to replace Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton, whom Lincoln had appointed Secretary of War in 1862. Stanton had informed the President that the military chain of command had been changed, and that the Southern military leaders would henceforth answer only to Congress, and not the President.

In August 1867, Johnson responded by attempting to fire Stanton and replace him with Ulysses S. Grant, but the Senate supported Stanton, refused to confirm Grant's appointment and reinstated Stanton against the President's wishes. In February 1868, Johnson appointed Lorenzo Thomas as the new Secretary of War and ordered the Southern military leaders to report directly to him.

Stanton refused to step down, instead barricading himself in his office where he lived for three days until the House of Representatives brought eleven Articles of impeachment against Andrew Johnson for "high crimes and misdemeanors," chief among them violating the Tenure of Office Act in defiance of the Senate.

Answer 3

The act was the Tenure in Office Act (1867) which was designed to prevent President Andrew Johnson from replacing Republican members of his Cabinet without Senate approval. Repealed in 1887, it was retroactively declared an unconstitutional restriction of the President's authority over the Executive Branch (in a 1926 ruling declaring a similar 1876 law unconstitutional).

Answer 4

Johnson was charged with violating the 1867 Tenure of Office Act.