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Partly-printed DS as president, one page, 8.5 x 11, February 16, 1867. President Johnson authorizes and directs the Secretary of State to affix the Seal of the United States to "a Warrant for the unconditional pardon of William Snowden." Boldly signed at the conclusion in ink by President Andrew Johnson. Annotated at the head in pencil in an unknown hand, "Rebel Pardon." In fine condition, with light show-through along the left edge from an old mounting remnant on the back.
Following the Civil War, President Andrew Johnson issued thousands of pardons to former Confederates as part of his broader policy of Reconstruction and national reunification. While early proclamations in 1865 required many Southerners—particularly those of wealth or influence—to apply individually for clemency, Johnson frequently granted such requests, restoring civil rights and property (excluding enslaved persons).
By 1867, amid growing political conflict with Congress over the direction of Reconstruction, these pardons had become controversial, with critics arguing they enabled former Confederates to quickly regain power in the South. Documents such as this signed warrant for the unconditional pardon of William Snowden reflect both Johnson’s lenient approach and the fraught political climate of the Reconstruction era.
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