Edwin McMasters Stanton (December 19, 1814 - December 24, 1869), born in Steubenville, Ohio, was an American political figure, prominent in the American Civil War and in the Reconstruction era.

After graduating from Kenyon College in 1833, he was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1835. He was appointed as United States Attorney General by President James Buchanan. After Abraham Lincoln was elected President, Stanton's tenure as Attorney General ended, but he agreed to work as a legal adviser to Simon Cameron, the Secretary of War. After Cameron resigned in 1862, Stanton gained the position, which he held until 1868.

Andrew Johnson attempted to remove Stanton from the Cabinet, in violation of the Tenure of Office Act. This was the primary count for which Johnson was impeached.

External links

• Spartacus Educational: Edwin M. Stanton (http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASstanton.htm)
• Biography from "Impeach Andrew Johnson" (http://www.impeach-andrewjohnson.com/11BiographiesKeyIndividuals/EdwinMStanton.htm)