Impeachment: An American History

American history authors Meacham, Peter Baker, Timothy Naftali, and Jeffrey A. Engel come together to offer a comprehensive and timely look at impeachment throughout U.S. history. An introduction to the background, discussion, and vote to add impeachment to the U.S. Constitution at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia is provided first with the intent to explore what the concept meant to the Constitution's framers, who, according to Engel, saw George Washington's political integrity as a model to be followed by his successors. The work's remaining sections provide an accessible narrative about the three instances of U.S. impeachment: the trial of Andrew Johnson in 1868, in which it was unclear if any wrongdoing took place, the Watergate scandal involving Richard Nixon in 1974, which "set the standard by which all ensuing scandals are measured," and Bill Clinton's perjury charge about an extra-marital affair in 1999. While not covered in-depth, the 2016 presidential election is discussed to explain that the framers would be surprised to learn that impeachment was used as a talking point by both candidates against each other.