Author: Patrick Young
Mark Twain: Thad Stevens Was “A Corpse that was Ready for the Shroud” When He Spoke for the Impeachment of Pres. Johnson
Mark Twain was among the writers covering the Impeachment Trial of Andrew Johnson. Twain was not engaged in strict reportage, but he hoped to give…
Was Andrew Johnson Acquitted Because a Senator Was Bribed?
Almost as soon as President Andrew Johnson was acquitted by one vote in his Senate trial for impeachment, accusations were leveled that Johnson’s minions bribed…
Preserving the Places Where African American History Happened
The New Yorker has a fascinating article on the effort to preserve historic sites where African Americans lived, worked, and struggled for freedom. For decades…
April 21, 1868 A Southern Newspaper Assesses the Evidentiary Phase of the Johnson Impeachment Trial
President Johnson’s defense rested on April 18, 1868. As the two legal teams prepared their closing statements, newspapers around the country weighed in with their…
The Fight Over Andrew Johnson’s Impeachment Was a Fight for the Future of the United States Says Annette Gordon-Reed
Smithsonian has an interesting article by National Book Award winner Annette Gordon-Reed on the Impeachment of Andrew Johnson. You can read the article here. From…
Ben Butler Warns that Delaying Conclusion of the Impeachment Trial Plays Into the Hands of Ku Klux Klan
After Generals Thomas and Sherman testified in the Impeachment Trial of Andrew Johnson, the president’s lead counsel Henry Stanbery took ill. The defense requested a…
The Impeachment Polka: Literally Dancing Through the Senate Trial
The most talked-about event of the first-half of 1868 was the Impeachment of Andrew Johnson. Why not cash in by turning impeachment into a dance…
Alan Dershowitz Messes Up the History of the Johnson Impeachment- Again!
Last week I posted about Alan Dershowitz’s misrepresentation about the use of witnesses at previous impeachment trials. Dershowitz implied that previous impeachment trials had not…
Brenda Wineapple: Salmon Chase Not a Good Role Model for Chief Justice During Impeachment Trial
Brenda Wineapple has been the most-quoted historian of the month. Her recent book The Impeachers tells the story of the Andrew Johnson impeachment and she…
Ben Butler’s Conduct of Impeachment Questioning “A Disgraceful Spectacle”: New York Times
On April 13, 1868 The NY Times carried this article on the questioning of Gen. Lorenzo Thomas during the Johnson Impeachment Trial by House Manager…