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Primary sourcePainting21 March 1868

Thomas Nast Cartoon on Johnson's Impeachment

Thomas Nast · 21 March 1868

An 1868 Harper's Weekly cartoon by Thomas Nast depicting Andrew Johnson struggling with the U.S. Constitution during his impeachment.

This cartoon criticizes Johnson's handling of constitutional authority, reflecting public opinion during his impeachment.

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Two-panel pen-and-ink cartoon. Left: a small man on a stepladder strains to lift a huge book labeled 'Constitution of U.S.' among bookshelves. Right: the ladder has tipped and the same book lies on the floor. Captions below read 'This little boy would persist in handling books above his capacity' and 'And this was the disastrous result.'
Thomas Nast, Andrew Johnson impeachment cartoon, Harper's Weekly, 1868.

About this source

What it is

This two-panel cartoon by Thomas Nast was published in Harper's Weekly on 21 March 1868, during Andrew Johnson's impeachment. It shows a small figure on a ladder straining to lift a huge book labeled 'Constitution of U.S.,' then falling with it.

Why it matters

The cartoon captures the intense public debate over whether Johnson had overstepped his constitutional authority as president, leading to his impeachment trial. It shows how cartoonists used simple imagery to argue that Johnson was unfit to handle the powers of his office.

Look closer

  • What does the size difference between the man and the book suggest about the cartoonist's opinion of Johnson?
  • Why might the artist choose a falling ladder to represent the impeachment crisis?
  • What political message is being sent through this simple two-panel story?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Andrew Johnson on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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