The Day U.S. President Andrew Johnson Granted Full Pardon to Former Confederate Men
A sad and telling time in the history of the United States
On Dec.25, 1868, President Andrew Johnson issued a “Christmas Amnesty” proclamation pardoning Confederates for treason.
He wanted to end any bitterness between the North and the South.
Even though numerous Confederates soldiers had been pardoned in 1865, some high ranking officials were still in legal jeopardy.
Abraham Lincoln believed that granting pardons would encourage desertion from the Confederacy with a promise of leniency.
At the beginning of the war, Johnson wanted to punish the leaders of the Confederacy. However, he had a change of heart once he rose to power after the assassination of Lincoln.
Andrew Johnson was a Tennessee Democrat who ran with Lincoln on the National Union ticket.
He became the 17th President of the United in 1865 and soon attracted contempt.
The controversial leader stood against the plight of free slaves. Historian Aaron Astor…
