A History Of Pardons

[Pryderi]

Interesting trivia!

A history of pardons
A look at presidential pardons in American history:

The most

Franklin Roosevelt: 3,687 in 12 years. The longest-serving president issued the most pardons.

Woodrow Wilson: 2,480 in 8 years.

Harry Truman: 2,044 in 8 years. He pardoned Japanese-Americans who resisted the draft during World War II.

Calvin Coolidge: 1,545 in 6 years.

Herbert Hoover: 1,385 in 4 years. The most by any single-term president.

The fewest

William Harrison: Zero in 1 month. He didn't live long enough to issue any pardons.

James Garfield: Zero in 6 months. Neither did he.

George Washington: 16 in 8 years. Leaders of the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion, a Pennsylvania protest against federal taxes on "spirits," were among those pardoned by the first president.

John Adams: 21 in 4 years. He pardoned participants in the 1799 Fries Uprising, a Pennsylvania protest against federal property taxes.

Zachary Taylor: 38 in 16 months. He pardoned more people in his abbreviated White House tenure than George W. Bush did in his entire first term.

[Mist]

1. It should be done away with. It smacks too much of "regal" powers. nt

[AndyA]

2. I agree. If all are created equal, having connections to the President

at any given time shouldn't be enough to get you off the hook for your crimes.

Perhaps it served a purpose in the past, but now it's just ripe for abuse.