Search | Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

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At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

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Year

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December 17, 1866

Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875

Document signed

Title: [Presidential pardon of Hilaire Devault, convicted of smuggling].

Devault was convicted of smuggling, then sentenced to pay a $1500 fine and court costs. She was pardoned because of mitigating circumstances and by recommendation of the US. District Attorney and respectable citizens. Countersigned by Secretary of State William H. Seward.

GLC00068.11

January 11,1877

Grant, Ulysses S. (Ulysses Simpson), 1822-1885

Document signed

Title: Pardon of William H. Walker, convicted of retailing spiritous liquors without paying special required tax.

Convicted of retailing spiritous liquors without paying special required tax. Pardoned by recommendation of the Congressmen from South Carolina, and because he was unable to pay the $100 fine. (c/s Hamilton Fish)

GLC00068.12

25 March 1878

Hayes, Rutherford B., 1822-1893

Document signed

Title: Pardon of George H. Lewis, convicted of embezzlement.

Convicted of mail embezzlement. Pardoned by recommendation of Minnesota Senators and a number of respectable citizens. (c/s William M. Evarts)

GLC00068.13

24 March 1884

Arthur, Chester Alan, 1829-1886

Document signed

Title: Pardon of James White, convicted of larceny.

Convicted of larceny of personal property; sentenced to 2 years imprisonment. Pardon after serving 1 year of his prison term upon request of judge & prosecuting attorney. (c/s Frederick J. Frelinghuysen)

GLC00068.14

07 February 1891

Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901

Document signed

Title: Delay of execution for William D. Gross, convicted of murder.

Convicted of murder; sentenced to be hanged. Respite of hanging due to appeal delays. (c/s James G. Blaine)

GLC00068.15

11 August 1893

Cleveland, Grover, 1837-1908

Document signed

Title: Pardon of Dexter M. Dibble, convicted of receiving U.S. military clothing unlawfully.

Convicted of receiving soldier's clothing unlawfully; sentenced to 1 year imprisonment. Pardoned due to the nature of the offence being non-aggravated and because the judge thought the penalty too heavy. (c/s Edward B. Whitney)

GLC00068.16

31 May 1898

McKinley, William, 1843-1901

Document signed

Title: Pardon: commuting sentence of Theodore F. Baker, convicted of embezzlement.

Convicted of embezzling funds from a national bank; sentenced to 7 years imprisonment. Pardoned after serving 4 years of the prison term. No reason for commutation. (c/s J. W. Griggs)

GLC00068.17

29 October 1901

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919

Document signed

Title: [Presidential pardon of M. M. Calloway, who was convicted of unlawfully entering a distillery warehouse]

Pardoned by Theodore Roosevelt, no reason stated for pardon. Partially handwritten. Countersigned by Attorney General P.C. Knox. Pages 2 and 4 are blank.

GLC00068.18

17 March 1917

Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924

Document signed

Title: [Presidential pardon of John Burton, who was convicted of grand larceny]

John Burton, alias Samuel R. Martin, alias Dr. Engelman, was pardoned by Wilson to restore his civil rights, no reason for pardon mentioned. Countersigned by Thomas W. Gregory. Printed document with blanks filled in by hand.

GLC00068.19

December 1, 1922

Harding, Warren G., 1865-1923

Document signed

Title: [Presidential commutation for T. H. Bunch, who was convicted of receiving illegal rebates from railway companies on grain shipments and fined]

Bunch's fine was reduced from $15,000 to $500. Harding gives no reason for pardon. Countersigned by Attorney General Harry Daugherty. Printed document with blanks filled in with type.

GLC00068.20

January 29, 1926

Coolidge, Calvin, 1872-1933

Document signed

Title: [Presidential pardon of Nick Cotsiomitis, who was convicted of violating the Immigration Act]

Coolidge gives Nick Cotsiomitis a full and unconditional pardon; no reason given. Countersigned by Attorney General John G. Sargent. Printed document with blanks filled in with type.

GLC00068.21

16 September 1942

Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945

Document signed

Title: Pardon of Albert Ellsworth Jackson (c/s Francis Biddle [AG])

Restoring Jackson's rights. Convicted of using the mails to defraud; pardoned since he has been a law-abiding citizen. Accompanied by transmittal letter from the U.S. Pardon Attorney.

GLC00068.22

09 June 1949

Truman, Harry S., 1884-1972

Document signed

Title: Pardon of Sol Lewis (c/s Thomas Clark [AG])

(Alias Sollis Levinsky.) Convicted as an illegal alien; pardoned since law-abiding while serving parole, had partly paid $5000 fine and would be deported if not pardoned.

GLC00068.23

07 November 1963

Kennedy, John Fitzgerald, 1917-1963

Document signed

Title: Pardon of Melvin Edwards (c/s Robert Kennedy [AG])

Convicted of a violation of the US Code; pardoned since an additional 6 years of prison would "not serve the ends of justice."

GLC00068.24

January 25, 1777

Washington, George, 1732-1799

Broadside

Title: Proclamation [Trenton proclamation]

Signed in type by Washington. The proclamation allowed residents of Trenton and Central New Jersey to reaffirm their loyalty to the United States, after devastating British campaigns.

GLC00070

31 July 1856

Pierce, Franklin, 1804-1869

Document signed

Title: [Appointment of John Geary as governor of the territory of Kansas]

Partially printed document signed by Franklin Pierce as President of the United States. Countersigned by William L. Marcy as Secretary of State. Accompanied by paper seal.

GLC00071

30 June 1881

Garfield, James A. (James Abram), 1831-1881

Document signed

Title: [Appointment of William Siler as U.S. Consul at Capetown].

Countersigned by Secretary of State Blaine. Signed two days before James A. Garfield was shot by Charles Guiteau, a disappointed officer-seeker who wanted to be appointed a U.S. consul. Accompanied by paper seal.

GLC00073

August 22, 1809

Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Charles Willson Peale [painter] re: thanks for educating grandson

Thomas Jefferson Randolph was Jefferson's favorite grandson and eventual executor of his estate. Jefferson writes to thank the artist Peale for educating his grandson, Thomas Jefferson Randolph in the natural sciences. Randolph attended lectures at the University of Pennsylvania and studied natural history at Peale's museum. Malone comments that TJR's course of study came nearer to a pre-medical curriculum than anything else. Malone, Jefferson the President: Second Term, pp. 612-613. Written in Monticello

GLC00074

circa 1836-1889

Various

Header Record

Title: Collection of 16 items relating to pardons (collection #5). See decimalized entries. [Decimalized .01-.16]

GLC00076

19 May 1836

Jackson, Andrew, 1767-1845

Document signed

Title: [Presidential authority to the Secretary of State to affix the seal to the paper remitting unto the William Davis the fine and costs imposed on him]

Davis was convicted of assault and battery in October, 1833, in the District of Columbia. Fined $5 and ordered to remain in prison until the fine was paid. After two and a half years imprisonment, Davis had petitioned to have the fine remitted since there was no way he could pay.

GLC00076.01