"Historical Pardons: How Previous US Insurrections Fueled Years of Racial Violence"

A man convicted for the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection proudly displays his pardon from President Donald Trump. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images by Joseph Patrick Kelly, College of Charleston and David Cason, University of North Dakota Trump, the third U.S. president to pardon insurrectionists, differs from past leaders. His actions echo historical attempts at national unity, yet often led to continued racial violence and discrimination, highlighting the complex legacy of pardons in American history.