Impeachment in U.S. History

This book offers the most comprehensive study yet of the history behind impeachment in the United States, considering its use against presidents, judges, justices, and members of the cabinet.

Although the Founding Fathers intended for the impeachment of federal officials to take place rarely, and only for the most egregious instances of malfeasance, calls for impeaching members of the U.S. government seem today to be almost routine. Presenting their arguments in a manner engaging to laypersons and specialists alike, authors Bolt and Kaufman describe the precolonial and colonial origins of impeachment in the United States, how the Founding Fathers intended for the process of impeachment to occur, the changes that have taken place to that process since the country’s founding, and why one hears the word ＂impeachment＂ used so often at present. Incorporating dozens of cases, including many that are oftentimes forgotten, this book demonstrates that partisanship is not new when it comes to trying to remove federal officers from their post and that unseating those officers via impeachment proceedings has proven very difficult.

Accessibly written and featuring a number of primary source documents and tools for student learning, Impeachment in U.S History is ideal for students of American history and American political history in particular.

William K. Bolt is Professor of History at Francis Marion University, USA. He is the author of Tariff Wars and the Politics of Jacksonian America.

Scott Kaufman is Professor of History and Board of Trustees Research Scholar at Francis Marion University, USA. He is the author, editor, or co-editor of twelve books on U.S. diplomatic, military, and political history.