Respond to the questions that follow.

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​Read Paragraph 1.

Respond to the questions that follow.

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​Read "Tennessee Rejoins the Union"

Read "Tennessee Gets a New Constitution"

Respond to the questions that follow.

After reading "Tennessee Gets a New Constitution"

⇨ What positive changes were named in the 1870 Tennessee Constitution? Abolition of slavery and citizenship for freed slaves.

⇨ How does the poll tax limit voting rights for African American citizens? Those who were poor would not be able to vote.

​⇨ How would the highlighted portion affect African Americans? Many could not pay the tax. 

⇨ Why did Tennessee have to adopt a new constitution in 1870? To meet the government requirements that states must ban slavery. 

Overrode: refused to accept a decision

Impeach: to charge a public official with misconduct in office

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​Congress Impeaches the President

Read "Impeaching the President"

Read and respond in your notes

Tensions between Johnson and the Radical Republicans continued to grow. In August 1867, while Congress was not in session, Johnson suspended Stanton -temporarily stopped him from working- without the Senate’s approval. When the Senate met again, it refused to approve the suspension. Johnson then fired Stanton. This action deliberately violated the Tenure of Office Act. Johnson also appointed people the Radical Republicans opposed to command some of the military districts in the South. 

• How did Johnson react to this challenge of the Tenure of Office Act? 1. Suspended Stanton while Congress was not in session. →  2. Johnson then fired Stanton.

Read and respond in your notes

The House of Representative voted to impeach (ihm•PEECH) Johnson -that is, formally charge him with wrongdoing. In 1868 the case went to the Senate for a trial. The trial lasted almost three months. Johnson’s defenders claimed the president had exercised his right to challenge laws he considered unconstitutional. They argued that the House had impeached Johnson for political reasons. Johnson’s critics said Congress had power to make the laws and Johnson’s use of the veto interfered with that power. 

• What was the result of Johnson firing Stanton? The House of Representatives voted to impeach Johnson.

Read and respond in your notes

The Senate did not get the two-thirds majority it needed to convict Johnson. Some moderate Republicans supported the president, arguing that he should not be removed for political reasons. As a result, Johnson remained president until Lincoln’s second term ended in 1869. Until then, he did little to interfere with Congress’s Reconstruction plans. 

• What happened after Johnson was impeached? The Senate didn’t get the ⅔ majority needed to convict and Johnson stayed in office.