who was the attorney general under andrew johnson

by Hulda Witting Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago 8 min read

Henry Stanbery

Why did Andrew Johnson try to remove Edwin Stanton?

The primary charge against Johnson was that he had violated the Tenure of Office Act, passed by Congress in March 1867 over Johnson's veto. Specifically, he had removed from office Edwin Stanton, the secretary of war whom the act was largely designed to protect. ... Grant as secretary of war ad interim.

Who was Andrew Johnson's secretary of state?

AdministrationThe Johnson CabinetOfficeNameTermSecretary of StateWilliam H. Seward1865–1869Secretary of the TreasuryHugh McCulloch1865–1869Secretary of WarEdwin Stanton1865–1868†28 more rows

What political party was Andrew Johnson?

Democratic PartyAndrew Johnson / PartyThe Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States. It was founded in 1828 by supporters of Andrew Jackson, making it the world's oldest active political party. Since the 1860s, its main political rival has been the Republican Party. Wikipedia

Why did Lincoln pick Andrew Johnson?

In 1862, Lincoln appointed him as Military Governor of Tennessee after most of it had been retaken. In 1864, Johnson was a logical choice as running mate for Lincoln, who wished to send a message of national unity in his re-election campaign; and became vice president after a victorious election in 1864.

Why did John Stanton resign?

Because of his fragile health, Stanton tried to resign shortly after the Confederate surrender at Appomattox in April 1865, but his resignation was rejected by President Lincoln. “‘Stanton,’ reported his biographer Fletcher Pratt, ‘you cannot go.

Who was the Attorney General of the United States during the Civil War?

Nicknamed “Mars”, Edwin M. Stanton was a pro-Breckinridge Democrat who was Attorney General under President James Buchanan (1860-61) and Secretary of War under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson (1862-68). Stanton succeeded Simon Cameron to whom he had given legal advice (some of which helped get Cameron fired). Stanton was a sharp and abusive critic at the beginning of the war, calling Mr. Lincoln ‘the original gorilla. Only later, he became a strong supporter of President Lincoln. Six months before Stanton’s appointment to the Cabinet, he wrote former President Buchanan: “The dreadful disaster of Sunday [Battle of Bull Run] can scarcely be mentioned. The imbecility of this administration has culminated in that catastrophe, and irretrievable misfortune and national disgrace are to be added to the ruin of all peaceful pursuits and national bankruptcy as the result of Lincoln’s ‘running the machine’ for five months.” 1 However, he sometimes bridled at the President’s directions and occasionally refused to obey them. At times, he conspired with Salmon Chase behind the President’s back. The President valued his tenacity and organizational abilities—if not his arrogance and duplicity, both of which Stanton had honed to virtual art forms.

Who was Lincoln's secretary of war?

Born poor, determined and imperious, devious but devoted, self-centered and self-confident, quick to judge and condemn, irritable and irascible, Stanton was driven by ambition as well as the national interest. Frank A. Flower, Edwin McMasters Stanton, p. 109. Pratt, Stanton: Lincoln’s Secretary of War, p. 141.

What was Clark known for?

As attorney general, he was known for his vigorous opposition to the death penalty, his aggressive support of civil liberties and civil rights, and his dedication in enforcing antitrust provisions. Clark supervised the drafting of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Civil Rights Act of 1968.

Where did Clark teach law school?

Following his term as attorney general, Clark taught courses at the Howard University School of Law (1969–1972) and Brooklyn Law School (1973–1981). He was active in the anti-Vietnam War movement and visited North Vietnam in 1972 as a protest against the bombing of Hanoi.

What was the job of Clark in the Kennedy administration?

In the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, Clark occupied senior positions in the Justice Department; he was Assistant Attorney General, overseeing the department's Lands Division from 1961 to 1965, and then served as Deputy Attorney General from 1965 to 1967.

What award did Clark receive?

Clark was a recipient of the 1992 Gandhi Peace Award, and also the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award for his commitment to civil rights, his opposition to war and military spending and his dedication to providing legal representation to the peace movement, particularly, his efforts to free Leonard Peltier.

Representative Experience

Handled briefing in appeal in which we obtained affirmance of take-nothing judgment where plaintiff argued on appeal that the trial judge engaged in judicial impropriety. Wiltfang v. Naegeli Transportation, No. 14-19-00396-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] September 10, 2020).

Professional Recognition

Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization

Speeches and Presentations

"Update: Texas Appraisal - The Texas Supreme Court Has Spoken,” Thompson Coe Webinar, August 6, 2019

Overview

Accession

President Abraham Lincoln had won the 1860 presidential election as a member of the Republican Party, but, in hopes of winning the support of War Democrats, he ran under the banner of the National Union Party in the 1864 presidential election. At the party's convention in Baltimore in June, Lincoln was easily nominated, but the party dropped Vice President Hannibal Hamlinfrom the tick…

Partisan affiliation

Johnson took office at a time of shifting partisan alignments. Former Whigs and former Democrats contended for influence within the Republican Party, while the remaining Northern Democrats looked to redefine their party in the wake of the Civil War. Johnson's accession left a Southern former Democrat in the president's office at the end of a civil war that had as its immediate impetusth…

Administration

On taking office, Johnson promised to continue the policies of his predecessor, and he initially kept Lincoln's cabinet in place. Secretary of State William Seward became one of the most influential members of Johnson's Cabinet, and Johnson allowed Seward to pursue an expansionary foreign policy. Early in his presidency, Johnson trusted Secretary of War Edwin Stantonto carry out his Reconstruction policies, and he also had a favorable opinion of Secretar…

Judicial appointments

Johnson appointed nine Article III federal judges during his presidency, all to United States district courts; he did not successfully appoint a justice to serve on the Supreme Court. In April 1866, he nominated Henry Stanbery to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Associate Justice John Catron, but Congress eliminated the seat by passing the Judicial Circuits Actof 1866. To ensure that Johnson did not get to make any appointments, the act also provided that the Court …

End of the Civil War and abolition of slavery

Johnson took office after Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomatox Court House, but Confederate armies remained in the field. On April 21, 1865, Johnson, with the unanimous backing of his cabinet, ordered General Ulysses S. Grant to overturn an armistice concluded between Union General William T. Sherman and Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston. The armistice had included political conditions such as the recognition of existing Confederate state governments…

Reconstruction

With the end of the Civil War, Johnson faced the question of what to do with the states that had formed the Confederacy. President Lincoln had authorized loyalist governments in Virginia, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee as the Union came to control large parts of those states and advocated a ten percent planthat would allow elections after ten percent of the voters in any state took …

Impeachment

On March 2, 1867, in response to the president's statements indicating that he planned to fire Cabinet secretaries who did not agree with him, Congress passed the Tenure of Office Act. The act required Senate approval for the firing of Cabinet members during the tenure of the president who appointed them. The Tenure of Office Act was immediately controversial; some senators doubt…