Many in Congress objected to the anti-Populist stance taken by Andrew Johnson. But many more were angered by his attempts to reduce the role of the Congress not only in terms of the shape of Reconstruction (which might have been tolerated) but in terms of the long-term balance of power amongst the branches of government. Johnson position was weakened by the Congressional election of 1866, which brought more Populists to Washington. The fact that he was acquitted by a single vote in his impeachment trial suggests how very unpopular his policies were. Those in Congress – as well as the citizens who had sent them there – recognized in Johnson’s emphasis of the centrality of the executive branch an especially powerful anti-Populist weapon – one that has been used time and time again in the intervening century and a half.
