Only three times in the 226-year history of the office of President of the United States has the idea of ​​impeachment arisen. Only twice has a president been impeached, and only one president has been driven from office due to possible high crimes and misdemeanors. Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were both impeached by the House of Representatives and faced trial in the Senate. Both presidents were acquitted of their alleged transgressions and allowed to remain in office. Richard Nixon, despite never facing impeachment, left office amid mounting pressure to resign and spare the Senate from facing trial due to his clear guilt. Nixon was actually violating his duties as president, but Clinton and Johnson were impeached by political rivals. Nixon's actions were considered such a serious violation of the Constitution that he did not remain in office, while Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton remained. Impeachment is “a criminal proceeding brought against a public official by a legislative body.” (Indictment). This does not mean automatic removal from office, which is a common misconception. the article goes on to explain how in the United States the reason impeachment is so rare at the presidential level is because it is a rather long process and keeps Congress busy for months; because of this impeachment it is only used in the most serious circumstances. Furthermore, it's not just presidents or federal officials who can be impeached, as 49 states (all except Oregon) have impeachment proceedings in place. Impeachment is considered an important part of the checks and balances that make the United States government unique, however due to the complicated and time-consuming process. The first ever use of the impeachment power came in 1868, when Andrew Johnson was impeached. Johnson already was