CONTENT WARNING
Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical and mental ability; and gender and sexual orientation.
Context
The power of the president to pardon those who commit offenses against the United States is enumerated in the Article Two of the U. S. Constitution. A presidential pardon is an executive order granting clemency for a conviction of a crime, with the exception of impeachment cases. Generally, pardons do not imply that the individual is innocent of committing the crime for which they were convicted.
One of the most controversial uses of the presidential pardon occurred when President Andrew Johnson issued sweeping pardons to thousands of former Confederate officials and soldiers after the American Civil War officially ended on April 9, 1865. The final surrender of all Confederate troops occurred on June 2, 1865. President Johnson issued a proclamation on May 29, 1865, extending amnesty to most former Confederate officials and soldiers. Despite the term "amnesty," the move was somewhat punitive on Johnson's part. He wanted to allow most Confederate soldiers to receive amnesty while punishing those who played more important and visible roles in the Confederacy. If a soldier qualified for a pardon, he had to swear a loyalty oath to the United States and free any slaves that he owned. The president included fourteen exception categories to the general pardon. They included soldiers who had attended the United States military and naval academies, former Confederate governors and other officials, high ranking officers, and participants in the rebellion who had property valued at more than $20,000. These individuals could still seek amnesty, but had to file a petition with the President.
Pennsylvania native Edmund M. Bradford was a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point (1837) who served in the U.S. Army for twelve years following graduation. He married the daughter of a former Virginia governor and settled in Norfolk, where he operated a nearby farm worked by his enslaved laborers. During the Civil War Bradford served as a captain in the Sixth Regiment Virginia Infantry and then as a major of the Virginia Volunteers before later serving in the Confederate Quartermasters Department until the end of the war.
In this document, Edmund Bradford petitioned the president for a pardon on September 3, 1865. As a graduate of West Point who fought for the Confederacy, he did not qualify for the general presidential amnesty. Virginia governor Francis H. Pierpoint (later changed to Pierpont) endorsed the letter and recommended that Bradford receive a pardon. It is unclear from the records available if the president granted Bradford’s pardon request.
Citation: Letter from Edmund Bradford to President Andrew Johnson, September 2, 1865, Tazewell Family Papers, Accession 24194, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
Standards
Suggested Questions
Preview Activity
Scan It: Scan the document and identify three or four phrases which indicate why Edmund Bradford requested a presidential pardon.
Post Activities
Be the Journalist: You are a reporter covering the story of Edmund Bradford. Write three questions that you would use in an interview with a representative of President Johnson’s administration about the decision to issue presidential pardons.
Current Connections: Presidential pardons have been controversial throughout the history of the United States. Why might they be controversial in the 21st century? If possible, provide an example of a recent controversial presidential pardon.
Social Media Spin: Put yourself in Bradford's shoes. Create a tweet in which you plead your case to the president. Include reasons for why you should receive a pardon.