You Are There | Impeachment of Andrew Johnson | B4TV Radio History Theater

In 1868, the United States faced a constitutional crisis unlike anything it had seen before: the impeachment trial of a sitting president.

In this episode of You Are There, CBS Radio brings listeners into the dramatic political battle surrounding President Andrew Johnson, Reconstruction, Congress, and the struggle over power after the Civil War. Presented in the series’ signature “live news from history” format, the episode treats the impeachment proceedings as urgent coverage from the floor of American government.

After the Civil War, Johnson repeatedly clashed with the Republican-controlled Congress over Reconstruction and the future of the former Confederate states. The National Archives notes that tensions reached a breaking point after Johnson fired Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, violating the Tenure of Office Act, and the House voted to impeach Johnson on February 24, 1868.

The Senate trial became one of the most dramatic political events of the era. The U.S. Senate records that Johnson was acquitted by votes of 35 to 19, falling one vote short of the two-thirds majority required for conviction. The Senate voted on Article XI on May 16, 1868, then on Articles II and III on May 26, 1868, before adjourning as a court of impeachment.

This B4TV presentation features “Impeachment of Andrew Johnson,” commonly circulated as You Are There 48-06-20, episode 35 in some OTR listings. I would still verify the exact source file before upload, because this series has several circulation lists and not all of them agree cleanly.

For fans of old-time radio, American history, presidential history, Reconstruction, impeachment history, CBS radio drama, political drama, and Golden Age broadcasting, this episode captures a tense moment when the country tested the boundaries of presidential power, congressional authority, and constitutional survival.

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