Firing of Cabinet Ministers Was An Impeachable Offence Before 1860’s

President Trump has fired an unmatched number of cabinet members including his Secretary of State and other key advisors. But it was not possible in 1860's due to the Tenure of Office Act was a law that states that president cannot remove any federal officer without Senate approval. The unilateral firings by the president were then an impeachable offence. Before this law, it was an easy task for the presidents to fire cabinet members.
But this act was defined by President Andrew Johnson and due to his threatening attempt to avoid the law, Johnson was impeached. He was the first president to be impeached and has been defined as the America’s worst presidents for his opposition to the law.
The impeachment of Andrew Johnson occurred in 1868 by the house of representatives. The House's primary charge against Johnson was violation of the Tenure of Office Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in March 1867, over the president's veto. He had removed from office the then Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton. The House approved the articles of impeachment and forwarded them to the Senate. This was the first impeachment of a President since creation of the office in 1789. the Tenure of Office Act lived on as the charges on Johnson were hence not proved and Ultimately, he wasn’t impeached after 11 weeks of trial, he eluded impeachment by a single vote.

By: Divya Thakur

Content: https://www.history.com/news/andrew-johnson-impeachment-tenure-of-office-act