On May 16, 1868, the U.S. Senate held a key vote in the impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson. Johnson faced charges related to his clashes with Congress over Reconstruction and his removal of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. To remove him from office, a two-thirds majority was required. The Senate fell one vote short of this threshold. As a result, Johnson remained in office for the rest of his term. The outcome set a high practical bar for removing a president and influenced later impeachment debates.
