The first President to face a serious chance at impeachment was Thomas Jefferson. The real reason was of course the Louisiana purchase which upset the Federalist and the nascent abolitionist movement who feared the new property would be used to create more slave states. Since they were politicians they couldn't tell the truth and impeach him for that so they had to pick another pretext.
They chose the fact that the President was having sexual congress with his slave Sally Hemmings.
They main motivator for this was an unholy alliance of Abigail Adams and Dolly Madison. Normally Dolly was busy with her invention of ice cream but she was appalled at the fact that many of her circle began to ape the Presidents attitude and began to have sex with their own apes. That would not do. Abigail Adams had always had an unrequited crush on Mr. Jefferson so the green monster forced her to lead the charge as well.
Mr Jefferson was at his wits end and did not know what to do. At the advice of his Vice President Aaron Burr he called the main proponents of his impeachment to the White House so he could explain himself. His words to the group echo down to this very day when he exclaimed in his high pitched girlish voice "I did not have sex with that black women." Since they were gentlemen they took him at his word and the impeachment movement fizzled.
(Impeach This...the History of Impeachment by Doris Kearns Goodwin)
2 comments:
Amazing photography.
It's different.
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