Book Review: Impeached: The Trial of President Andrew Johnson and the Fight for Lincoln’s Legacy by David O. Steward

August 17, 2023

About:

Impeached: The Trial of President Andrew Johnson and the Fight for Lincoln’s Legacy by David O. Steward is a biography of the 17th President, the first to go through the impeachment process. Mr. Stewart is a published author and trial lawyer.

  • 464 pages
  • Publisher ‏ : Simon & Schuster
  • Language ‏ : English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : 1416547495

Book Review: Impeached: The Trial of President Andrew Johnson and the Fight for Lincoln’s Legacy by David O. Steward
My rating for Impeached5
Buy Impeached from Amazon.com*
More Books by David O. Steward*

Thoughts:

This is one of the most interesting, coherent books I’ve read about the impeachment process. While the author goes into the Johnson’s background, I would not classify this as an encompassing biography, but it’s well worth reading.

To be honest, I expected this book to be fairly boring and tedious. Instead Impeached by David O. Steward manages to explain complex legislative and legal issues in a clear, conscience manner, staying away from dry legalese or nauseating academic language.

The book puts the impeachment in the frames of the socioeconomic, political, and cultural context of the time. The country is still healing form the Civil War, Lincoln has been murdered, and Reconstruction is a very divisive issue.

Andrew Johnson was impeached for violation of the Tenure of Office Act by acting to remove Edwin Stanton from office and replace him with Brevet Major General Lorenzo Thomas as Secretary of War. Jonson managed to avoid removal by making deals, over and under the table. What I never realized, however, were all the bribes that were involved. It’s an amazing read, full of corruption and manipulation which will not shame any rogue nation today.

Andrew Johnson’s failed presidency is being looked at through a broad lens, with relevant context. Johnson’s rise from poverty in Raleigh, NC, to the top echelon of American politics is an amazing story. The book has very interesting “side plots, including his relationship with U.S. Grant, whom he knew was going to be a presidential candidate and at the same time was undermining the President’s Southern policy from within.

Buy Impeached from Amazon.com*
More Books by David O. Steward*

Zohar — Man of la Book
Dis­claimer:I bought this book.
*Ama­zon links point to an affil­i­ate account, the money is usually spent on books

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Summary
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Impeached: The Trial of President Andrew Johnson and the Fight for Lincoln's Legacy by David O. Steward
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Wrap Up

Impeached: The Trial of President Andrew Johnson and the Fight for Lincoln's Legacy by David O. Steward

Impeached The Trial Of President Andrew Johnson And The Fight For Lincoln S Legacy By David O Stewa

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