Impeachment of Andrew Johnson, Tenure of Office Act

How did the passage of the Tenure of Office Act and impeachment of President Johnson shape the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches of the government during the Reconstruction era? This lesson examines the passage of the Tenure of Office Act by Congress and the subsequent impeachment of President Johnson. Students will analyze documents, including primary sources, to draw conclusions regarding the impartiality of the Johnson impeachment.

Included in this resource:

Do Now 1868 Thomas Nast political cartoon analysis questions
The Tenure of Office Act primary source excerpt and reading passage with guided questions
“Get your tickets here!” reading passage with critical thinking analysis question
The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson reading passage with graphic organizer scaffolding questions
Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: Design your own ticket to President Johnson’s impeachment trial. Be sure to include details including one article or reason for impeachment that was used by Congress and be creative!
Answer key for teachers
★ Please Note: I execute this lesson with my 8th grade honors students and my 11th grade gen-ed students. Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you!

If you run out of time in one class period, you can give the exit/application as homework!

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