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Noel B. Gerson
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The Trial of Andrew Johnson: A Biography of the Reconstruction Era President (Heroes and Villains from American History) Kindle Edition

by Noel B. Gerson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 145 ratings

How do you remove an unpopular president from office?



On February 24, 1868, members of the United States House of Representatives voted to impeach President Andrew Johnson on thirteen separate charges of having committed high crimes and misdemeanors against the government and the people.

In this impressive biography, Noel B. Gerson examines how these extraordinary events came about, the circumstances leading up to it, and the aftermath of a trial that was unique in the history of the country.

Born into poverty and with no formal education, Johnson rose to prominence through perseverance and hard work. Entering politics, he became an adept stump speaker, championing the common man and vilifying the plantation aristocracy. Nominally a Democrat, who advocated free homesteads and education for all, he was soon to discover that not all agreed with his desire to see the nation reunited under the Constitution, as it had been before the Civil War.

Sworn in as seventeenth President of the United States following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865, Johnson faced the enormous task of presiding over the tumultuous first years of Reconstruction, a task made harder by his enemies, notably radical Republicans Thaddeus Stevens, Charles Sumner and Edwin Stanton, who turned the tide of support against him and were instrumental in the campaign to disgrace Johnson and drive him from office.

By utilizing a wealth of primary sources, including quoted speeches, letters and press articles, Gerson masterfully portrays a sympathetic national figure devoted to his country and the Constitution, who escaped conviction by a single vote and went on to achieve a level of popularity he had never before known.

The Trial of Andrew Johnson is an ideal read for those who wish to find out more about the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson and his fight for vindication against the radical Republicans in the United States Congress.
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  1. Part of series
    Heroes and Villains from American History
  2. Print length
    140 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    March 7, 2021
  6. File size
    951 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08PVL5D1Q
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sapere Books
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 7, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 951 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 140 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1800551008
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Part of series ‏ : ‎ Heroes and Villains from American History
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 145 ratings

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Noel B. Gerson

Noel B. Gerson

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4.3 out of 5 stars
145 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • W.C.Eichler
    5.0 out of 5 stars Johnson, American Patriot
    Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    One of the most misunderstood Presidents. Driven from office by lies and conspirators. A man so honest his enemies had to makeup charges without proof to charge him. Thankfully the voters had faith in him.
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  • Crystal Toller
    4.0 out of 5 stars Andrew Johnson
    Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This is a brief book on Andrew Johnson and his impeachment trial in the Congress an9d his later election as a Tennessee Senator and his shutting down of Grant's hope to be elected to a third term as President. Really enjoyed this book and learning more about Johnson's impeachment trial.
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  • Tina Dunna
    5.0 out of 5 stars Eye opener!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    For many years I believed the falsehoods about President Andrew Johnson. After reading this very informative book I realized that this man had gotten a bad wrap. This is another reason why it is always good to read so you can see things for yourself.
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  • Donald Rhodes
    5.0 out of 5 stars Andrew Johnson, 17th President
    Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent .. So much information we never get in primary school history/government classes. History appears to be repeating itself; the extreme members within our political system are acting in the same way as our ancestors.
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  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Short and informative
    Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Fascinating topic on a true patriot. Succinct yet very informative. I read it in one sitting as I could not put it down.
    One person found this helpful
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  • B Kamin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good reading
    Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2023
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    I was surprised how good he was. Not heard much good stuff about him. He defended the US constitution all his life.
    One person found this helpful
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  • J. A. Jankowski
    5.0 out of 5 stars Vindication
    Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    President Johnson took office because Lincoln died, I knew nothing more about reconstruction and the impossible position he was in when he took office.
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  • Walter Stanley
    1.0 out of 5 stars DUPLICITOUS
    Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I ordinarily do not give a one star to a book because it often says more about the ego of the reviewer than the quality of the book. This time I’ll make an exception. Gerson’s biography o Andrew Johnson makes no pretense at being impartial; this is a completely adulatory work. There was much about Johnson that deserved admiration. He was self-educated, he remained loyal to the union when no other senators in the southern states did, and he not only freed his eight slaves after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, he hired them to work in his shops at the same wages as white people. I might even go so far as to agree with Gerson that he did not deserve impeachment; he broke no laws, he just held opinions that I find repellent, and tried to prevent the passage of laws and amendments designed to help the former slaves become functioning, self-reliant citizens.

    However, Andrew Johnson is generally regarded as the most racist US president. An honest biography would have acknowledged that, and then tried to counter that claim. Instead, we get the following: “The Southern states had been restored to the Union in good Standing, but the radicals continued to hobble them in politics. As a consequence, relation between blacks and white deteriorated rapidly and were further complicated by the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, which used terror as its principal weapon.”
    The “radical Republicans” were the Republicans who passed the Civil Rights Bill, which was designed to protect blacks against black codes, which made it possible to make former slaves work for lower wages, and against terrorist groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Johnson vetoed the bill, declaring it unconstitutional. So, passing laws against a specific segment of citizens was constitutional? Johnson vetoed the Freedman’s Bureau Bill, designed to allocate land for the freedmen, provide schools for their children, and increase the Bureau’s legal power by setting up military courts in the southern states to protect the freedmen’s rights. Johnson said he vetoed the bill because it “favored one class of citizens over another.”

    However, from other remarks Johnson made, it is clear that he did not consider blacks to be citizens: According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Johnson wrote to Governor Thomas C. Fletcher of Missouri, “This is a country for white men, and by God, as long as I am President, it shall be a government for white men.”
    Yet Gerson blames the poor relation between blacks and whites on “radical Republicans,” and ignores that Johnson’s policies empowered the KKK. Duplicitous.
    4 people found this helpful
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